Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes x No ¨

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not
required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ¨ No x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of
delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrants knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated
by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ¨

Indicate by check mark
whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of large accelerated filer, accelerated filer and smaller reporting
company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer

x

Accelerated filer

¨

Non-accelerated filer

¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

Smaller reporting company

¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the
Act). Yes ¨ No x

The aggregate market value of Common Shares held by non-affiliates of the Registrant was approximately $10.0 billion based upon the closing price on June 30, 2008 of $38.27 using beneficial ownership of shares rules adopted pursuant to
Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to exclude voting shares owned by Trustees and Executive Officers, some of who may not be held to be affiliates upon judicial determination.

The number of Common Shares of Beneficial Interest, $0.01 par value, outstanding on January 31, 2009 was 272,794,454.

Part III incorporates by reference certain information to be contained in the Companys definitive proxy statement, which the Company anticipates will be filed no later than April 16, 2009, and thus these
items have been omitted in accordance with General Instruction G (3) to Form 10-K.

Equity Residential (EQR), a Maryland real estate investment trust (REIT) formed in March 1993, is an S&P 500 company focused
on the acquisition, development and management of high quality apartment properties in top United States growth markets. EQR has elected to be taxed as a REIT.

The Company is one of the largest publicly traded real estate companies and is the largest publicly traded owner of multifamily properties in the United States (based on the aggregate market value of its outstanding
Common Shares, the number of apartment units wholly owned and total revenues earned). The Companys corporate headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois and the Company also operates property management offices throughout the United States.

EQR is the general partner of, and as of December 31, 2008 owned an approximate 94.2% ownership interest in, ERP Operating Limited
Partnership, an Illinois limited partnership (the Operating Partnership). The Company is structured as an umbrella partnership REIT (UPREIT) under which all property ownership and related business operations are conducted
through the Operating Partnership and its subsidiaries. References to the Company include EQR, the Operating Partnership and those entities owned or controlled by the Operating Partnership and/or EQR.

As of December 31, 2008, the Company, directly or indirectly through investments in title holding entities, owned all or a portion of 548 properties
in 23 states and the District of Columbia consisting of 147,244 units. The ownership breakdown includes (table does not include various uncompleted development properties):

Properties

Units

Wholly Owned Properties

477

127,002

Partially Owned Properties:

Consolidated

28

5,757

Unconsolidated

41

9,776

Military Housing (Fee Managed)

2

4,709

548

147,244

As of February 5, 2009, the Company has approximately 4,700 employees who provide real estate
operations, leasing, legal, financial, accounting, acquisition, disposition, development and other support functions.

Certain capitalized
terms used herein are defined in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

You may access our Annual Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to any of those
reports we file with the SEC free of charge at our website, www.equityresidential.com. These reports are made available at our website as soon as reasonably practicable after we file them with the SEC.

Sharing resources, customers and best practices in property management and across the enterprise.



Owning a highly diversified portfolio by investing in target markets defined by a combination of the following criteria:



High barrier-to-entry (low supply);



Strong economic predictors (high demand); and



Attractive quality of life (high demand and retention).



Giving residents reasons to stay with the Company by providing a range of product options available in our diversified portfolio and by enhancing their experience
through our employees and our services.



Being open and responsive to market realities to take advantage of investment opportunities that align with our long-term vision.

The Company anticipates that future property acquisitions, developments and dispositions will occur within the United States. Acquisitions and developments may be financed from various sources of capital, which may include retained cash
flow, issuance of additional equity and debt securities, sales of properties, joint venture agreements and collateralized and uncollateralized borrowings. In addition, the Company may acquire properties in transactions that include the issuance of
limited partnership interests in the Operating Partnership (OP Units) as consideration for the acquired properties. Such transactions may, in certain circumstances, enable the sellers to defer, in whole or in part, the recognition of
taxable income or gain that might otherwise result from the sales. EQR may also acquire land parcels to hold and/or sell based on market opportunities.

When evaluating potential acquisitions, developments and dispositions, the Company generally considers the following factors:



strategically targeted markets;



income levels and employment growth trends in the relevant market;



employment and household growth and net migration of the relevant markets population;



barriers to entry that would limit competition (zoning laws, building permit availability, supply of undeveloped or developable real estate, local building costs
and construction costs, among other factors);



the location, construction quality, condition and design of the property;



the current and projected cash flow of the property and the ability to increase cash flow;



the potential for capital appreciation of the property;



the terms of resident leases, including the potential for rent increases;



the potential for economic growth and the tax and regulatory environment of the community in which the property is located;



the occupancy and demand by residents for properties of a similar type in the vicinity (the overall market and submarket);



the prospects for liquidity through sale, financing or refinancing of the property;



the benefits of integration into existing operations;



purchase prices and yields of available existing stabilized properties, if any;



competition from existing multifamily properties, comparably priced single family homes or rentals, residential properties under development and the potential for
the construction of new multifamily properties in the area; and



opportunistic selling based on demand and price of high quality assets, including condominium conversions.

The Company generally reinvests the proceeds received from property dispositions primarily to achieve its acquisition, development and rehab strategies
and at times to fund its debt and equity repurchase activities. In addition, when feasible, the Company may structure these transactions as tax-deferred exchanges.

See also Note 20 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional discussion regarding the Companys segment disclosures.

The Operating Partnership obtained $500.0 million of mortgage loan proceeds through the issuance of an 11.5 year (stated maturity date of October 1, 2019)
cross-collateralized loan with a fixed stated interest rate for 10.5 years at 5.19% secured by 13 properties.



The Operating Partnership obtained $550.0 million of mortgage loan proceeds through the issuance of an 11.5 year (stated maturity date of March 1, 2020)
cross-collateralized loan with a fixed stated interest rate for 10.5 years at approximately 6% secured by 15 properties.



The Operating Partnership obtained $543.0 million of mortgage loan proceeds through the issuance of an 8 year (stated maturity date of January 1, 2017)
cross-collateralized loan with a fixed stated interest rate for 7 years at approximately 6% secured by 18 properties.



The Company issued 995,129 Common Shares pursuant to its Share Incentive Plans and received net proceeds of approximately $24.6 million.



The Company issued 195,961 Common Shares pursuant to its Employee Share Purchase Plan and received net proceeds of approximately $6.2 million.



The Company repurchased and retired 220,085 of its Common Shares at an average price of $35.93 per share for total consideration of $7.9 million. See Note 3 in the
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.



The Company repurchased $72.6 million of its 4.75% fixed rate public notes due June 15, 2009 at a discount to par of approximately 1.0%. See Note 9 in the
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.



The Company repurchased $101.4 million of its 3.85% convertible fixed rate public notes due August 15, 2026 at a discount to par of approximately 17.7%. See
Note 9 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.

During 2007:



The Operating Partnership issued $350.0 million of five-year 5.50% fixed rate notes (the October 2012 Notes) in a public debt offering in May/June 2007.
The October 2012 Notes were issued at a discount, which is being amortized over the life of the notes on a straight-line basis. The October 2012 Notes are due October 1, 2012 with interest payable semiannually in arrears on January 15 and
July 15, commencing January 15, 2008. The Operating Partnership received net proceeds of approximately $346.1 million in connection with this issuance.



The Operating Partnership issued $650.0 million of ten-year 5.75% fixed rate notes (the June 2017 Notes) in a public debt offering in May/June 2007. The
June 2017 Notes were issued at a discount, which is being amortized over the life of the notes on a straight-line basis. The June 2017 Notes are due June 15, 2017 with interest payable semiannually in arrears on January 15 and
July 15, commencing January 15, 2008. The Operating Partnership received net proceeds of approximately $640.6 million in connection with this issuance.



The Operating Partnership obtained a three-year (subject to two one-year extension options) $500.0 million senior unsecured credit facility (term loan) which
generally pays a variable interest rate of LIBOR plus a spread dependent upon the current credit rating on the Operating Partnerships long-term unsecured debt. The Operating Partnership paid $1.1 million in upfront costs, which will be
deferred and amortized over the three-year term. EQR has guaranteed the Operating Partnerships term loan facility up to the maximum amount and for the full term of the facility.



The Company issued 1,040,765 Common Shares pursuant to its Share Incentive Plans and received net proceeds of approximately $28.8 million.



The Company issued 189,071 Common Shares pursuant to its Employee Share Purchase Plan and received net proceeds of approximately $7.2 million.



The Company repurchased and retired 27,484,346 of its Common Shares at an average price of $44.62 per share for total consideration of $1.2 billion.

The Operating Partnership issued $400.0 million of ten and one-half year 5.375% unsecured fixed rate notes (the August 2016 Notes) in a public debt
offering in January 2006. The August 2016 Notes were issued at a discount, which is being amortized over the life of the notes on a straight-line basis. The August 2016 Notes are due August 1, 2016 with interest payable semiannually in arrears
on February 1 and August 1, commencing August 1, 2006. The Operating Partnership received net proceeds of approximately $395.5 million in connection with this issuance.



The Operating Partnership issued $650.0 million of twenty-year 3.85% exchangeable senior notes (the August 2026 Notes) in a public debt offering in
August 2006. The August 2026 Notes were issued at a discount, which is being amortized over the life of the notes on a straight-line basis. The August 2026 Notes are due August 15, 2026 with interest payable semiannually in arrears on
February 15 and August 15, commencing February 15, 2007. The Operating Partnership received net proceeds of approximately $637.0 million in connection with this issuance. See Note 9 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
for further discussion.



The Company issued 2,647,776 Common Shares pursuant to its Share Incentive Plans and received net proceeds of approximately $69.7 million.



The Company issued 213,427 Common Shares pursuant to its Employee Share Purchase Plan and received net proceeds of approximately $8.0 million.



The Company repurchased 1,897,912 of its Common Shares on the open market at an average price of $43.85 per share. The Company paid approximately $83.2 million for
these shares, which were retired subsequent to the repurchase.

On January 27, 2009, the Company repurchased at par
$105.2 million of its 4.75% unsecured notes due June 15, 2009 and $185.2 million of its 6.95% unsecured notes due March 2, 2011 pursuant to a cash tender offer announced on January 16, 2009.

As of February 26, 2009, an unlimited amount of debt securities remains available for issuance by the Operating Partnership under a registration
statement that became automatically effective upon filing with the SEC in December 2008 (under SEC regulations enacted in 2005, the registration statement automatically expires on December 21, 2011 and does not contain a maximum issuance
amount). As of February 26, 2009, an unlimited amount of equity securities remains available for issuance by the Company under a registration statement that became automatically effective upon filing with the SEC in December 2008 (under SEC
regulations enacted in 2005, the registration statement automatically expires on December 15, 2011 and does not contain a maximum issuance amount).

In May 2002, the Companys shareholders approved the Companys 2002 Share Incentive Plan. In January 2003, the Company filed a Form S-8 registration statement to register 23,125,828 Common Shares under this
plan. As of January 1, 2009, 21,740,453 shares are the maximum shares issuable under this plan. See Note 14 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.

The Operating Partnership has a $1.5 billion unsecured revolving credit facility
maturing on February 28, 2012, with the ability to increase available borrowings by an additional $500.0 million by adding additional banks to the facility or obtaining the agreement of existing banks to increase their commitments. Advances
under the credit facility bear interest at variable rates based upon LIBOR at various interest periods plus a spread dependent upon the Operating Partnerships credit rating or based on bids received from the lending group. EQR has guaranteed
the Operating Partnerships credit facility up to the maximum amount and for the full term of the facility.

During the year ended
December 31, 2008, one of the providers of the Operating Partnerships unsecured revolving credit facility declared bankruptcy. Under the existing terms of the credit facility, the providers share is up to $75.0 million of potential
borrowings. As a result, the Operating Partnerships borrowing capacity under the unsecured revolving credit facility has in essence been permanently reduced to $1.425 billion of potential borrowings. The obligation to fund by all of the other
providers has not changed.

On April 1, 2005, the Operating Partnership obtained a three-year $1.0 billion unsecured revolving credit
facility maturing on May 29, 2008. Advances under the credit facility bore interest at variable rates based upon LIBOR at various interest periods plus a spread dependent upon the Operating Partnerships credit rating or based on bids
received from the lending group. EQR guaranteed the Operating Partnerships credit facility up to the maximum

amount and for the full term of the facility. This credit facility was repaid in full and terminated on February 28, 2007. The Company recorded $0.4
million of write-offs of unamortized deferred financing costs as additional interest in connection with this termination.

On May 7,
2007, the Operating Partnership obtained a one-year $500.0 million unsecured revolving credit facility maturing on May 5, 2008. Advances under this facility bore interest at variable rates based on LIBOR at various interest periods plus a
spread dependent upon the Operating Partnerships credit rating. EQR guaranteed this credit facility up to the maximum amount and for its full term. This credit facility was repaid in full and terminated on June 4, 2007.

As of December 31, 2008, the amount available on the credit facility was $1.29 billion (net of $130.0 million which was restricted/dedicated to
support letters of credit and net of the $75.0 million discussed above). As of December 31, 2007, $139.0 million was outstanding and $80.8 million was restricted/dedicated to support letters of credit and not available for borrowing on the
credit facilities. During the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, the weighted average interest rates were 4.31% and 5.68%, respectively.

All of the Companys properties are located in developed areas that include other multifamily properties.
The number of competitive multifamily properties in a particular area could have a material effect on the Companys ability to lease units at the properties or at any newly acquired properties and on the rents charged. The Company may be
competing with other entities that have greater resources than the Company and whose managers have more experience than the Companys managers. In addition, other forms of rental properties and single-family housing provide housing alternatives
to potential residents of multifamily properties. See Item 1A. Risk Factors for additional information with respect to competition.

The following Risk Factors may contain defined terms
that are different from those used in the other sections of this report. Unless otherwise indicated, when used in this section, the terms we and us refer to Equity Residential and its subsidiaries, including ERP Operating
Limited Partnership. This Item 1A. includes forward-looking statements. You should refer to our discussion of the qualifications and limitations on forward-looking statements included in Item 7.

The occurrence of the events discussed in the following risk factors could adversely affect, possibly in a material manner, our business, financial
condition or results of operations, which could adversely affect the value of our common shares of beneficial interest or preferred shares of beneficial interest (which we refer to collectively as Shares); preference interests and/or
units (Interests and/or Units) of a subsidiary of ERP Operating Limited Partnership, our operating partnership; and limited partnership interests in the Operating Partnership (OP Units). In this section, we refer
to the Shares, Interests, Units and the OP Units together as our securities and the investors who own Shares, Interests, Units and/or OP Units as our security holders.

Our Performance and Securities Value are Subject to Risks Associated with the Real Estate Industry

Real property investments
are subject to varying degrees of risk and are relatively illiquid. Several factors may adversely affect the economic performance and value of our properties. These factors include changes in the national, regional and local economic climates, local
conditions such as an oversupply of multifamily properties or a reduction in demand for our multifamily properties, the attractiveness of our properties to residents, competition from other available multifamily property owners and single family
homes and changes in market rental rates. Our performance also depends on our ability to collect rent from residents and to pay for adequate maintenance, insurance and other operating costs, including real estate taxes, which could increase over
time. Sources of labor and materials required for maintenance, repair, capital expenditure or development may be more expensive than anticipated. Also,

We generally consider our cash flows provided by operating activities after capital expenditures to be adequate to meet operating
requirements and payment of distributions to our security holders. However, there may be times when we experience shortfalls in our coverage of distributions, which may cause us to consider reducing our distributions and/or using the proceeds from
property dispositions or additional financing transactions to make up the difference. Should these shortfalls occur for lengthy periods of time or be material in nature, our financial condition may be adversely affected and we may not be able to
maintain our current distribution levels.

When our residents decide not to renew their leases upon expiration, we may not be able to relet their units. Even if the residents do renew or we can
relet the units, the terms of renewal or reletting may be less favorable than current lease terms. Because virtually all of our leases are for apartments, they are generally for terms of no more than one year. If we are unable to promptly renew the
leases or relet the units, or if the rental rates upon renewal or reletting are significantly lower than expected rates, then our results of operations and financial condition will be adversely affected. Occupancy levels and market rents may be
adversely affected by national and local economic and market conditions including, without limitation, new construction and excess inventory of multifamily and single family housing, slow or negative employment growth, availability of low interest
mortgages for single family home buyers and the potential for geopolitical instability, all of which are beyond the Companys control. In addition, various state and local municipalities are considering and may continue to consider rent control
legislation which could limit our ability to raise rents. Finally, the federal government is considering and may continue to consider policies which may encourage home ownership, thus increasing competition and possibly limiting our ability to raise
rents. Consequently, our cash flow and ability to service debt and make distributions to security holders could be reduced.

We intend to actively acquire multifamily properties for rental operations as market conditions dictate. The Company does not currently intend to begin the development of any new wholly-owned projects but has a
substantial number of properties under development now and may commence new development activities if conditions warrant. We may underestimate the costs necessary to bring an acquired property up to standards established for its intended market
position or to complete a development property. Additionally, we expect that other major real estate investors with significant capital will compete with us for attractive investment opportunities or may also develop properties in markets where we
focus our development efforts. This competition may increase prices for multifamily properties. We may not be in a position or have the opportunity in the future to make suitable property acquisitions on favorable terms. To the extent that we do
develop more properties if conditions warrant, we expect to do so ourselves in addition to co-investing with our development partners. The total number of development units, cost of development and estimated completion dates are subject to
uncertainties arising from changing economic conditions (such as the cost of labor and construction materials), competition and local government regulation.

Real estate investments generally cannot be sold quickly. We may not be able to reconfigure our portfolio promptly in response to economic or other conditions. This inability to respond promptly to changes in the performance of our
investments could adversely affect our financial condition and ability to make distributions to our security holders.

We are generally not able to pass through to our residents under existing leases real
estate or other federal, state or local taxes. Consequently, any such tax increases may adversely affect our financial condition and limit our ability to make distributions to our security holders. Similarly, changes that increase our potential
liability under environmental laws or our expenditures on environmental compliance would adversely affect our cash flow and ability to make distributions on our securities.

We may become involved in legal proceedings, including but not limited to, proceedings related to
consumer, employment, development, condominium conversion, tort and commercial legal issues that if decided adversely to or settled by us, could result in liability material to our financial condition or results of operations.

Federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment may require a current or previous owner or operator of real estate to investigate and clean up hazardous or toxic substances
or petroleum product releases at such property. The owner or operator may have to pay a governmental entity or third parties for property damage and for investigation and clean-up costs incurred by such parties in connection with the contamination.
These laws typically impose clean-up responsibility and liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of or caused the presence of the contaminants. Even if more than one person may have been responsible for the contamination, each
person covered by the environmental laws may be held responsible for all of the clean-up costs incurred. In addition, third parties may sue the owner or operator of a site for damages and costs resulting from environmental contamination emanating
from that site.

Substantially all of our properties have been the subject of environmental assessments completed by qualified independent
environmental consultant companies. While these environmental assessments have not revealed, nor are we aware of, any environmental liability that our management believes would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations,
financial condition or liquidity, there can be no assurance that we will not incur such liabilities in the future.

Over the past several
years, there have been an increasing number of lawsuits against owners and managers of multifamily properties alleging personal injury and property damage caused by the presence of mold in residential real estate. As some of these lawsuits have
resulted in substantial monetary judgments or settlements, insurance carriers have reacted by excluding mold-related claims from standard policies and pricing mold endorsements at prohibitively high rates. We have adopted programs designed to
minimize the existence of mold in any of our properties as well as guidelines for promptly addressing and resolving reports of mold to minimize any impact mold might have on our residents or the property.

We cannot be assured that existing environmental assessments of our properties reveal all environmental liabilities, that any prior owner of any of our
properties did not create a material environmental condition not known to us, or that a material environmental condition does not otherwise exist as to any of our properties.

In order to manage insurance costs, management has gradually increased deductible and self-insured retention amounts. As of December 31, 2008, the Companys property insurance policy provides for a per occurrence deductible of
$250,000 and self-insured retention of $5.0 million per occurrence, subject to a maximum annual aggregate self-insured retention of $7.5 million, with approximately 80% of any excess losses being covered by insurance. Any earthquake and named
windstorm losses are subject to a deductible of 5% of the values of the buildings involved in the losses and are not subject to the aggregate self-insured retention. The Companys general liability and workers compensation policies at
December 31, 2008 provide for a $2.0 million and $1.0 million per occurrence deductible, respectively. These higher deductible and self-insured retention amounts do expose the Company to greater potential uninsured losses, but management
believes the savings in insurance premium expense justify this potential increased exposure over the long-term.

As a result of the
terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, property insurance carriers created exclusions for losses from terrorism from our all risk property insurance policies. As of December 31, 2008, the Company was insured for $500.0
million in terrorism insurance coverage, with a $100,000 deductible. This coverage excludes losses from nuclear, biological and chemical attacks. In the event of a terrorist attack impacting one or more of our properties, we could lose the revenues
from the property, our capital investment in the property and possibly face liability claims from residents or others suffering injuries or losses. The Company believes, however, that the number of properties in and geographic diversity of its
portfolio and its terrorism insurance coverage help to mitigate its exposure to the risks associated with potential terrorist attacks.

Please
refer to Item 7, Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, for the Companys total debt and unsecured debt summaries as of December 31, 2008.

In addition to debt, we have $209.0 million of combined liquidation value of outstanding preferred shares of beneficial interest and preference units,
with a weighted average dividend preference of 6.94% per annum as of December 31, 2008. Our use of debt and preferred equity financing creates certain risks, including the following:

The United States capital and credit markets continue to experience significant dislocations and liquidity disruptions. These
circumstances have materially impacted liquidity in the debt markets, making financing terms for us less attractive, and resulted in the unavailability of certain types of debt financing. If the capital and credit markets continue to experience
volatility and the availability of funds remains limited, on unattractive terms or non-existent, we will incur increased costs associated with issuing debt instruments. In addition, it is possible that our ability to access the capital and credit
markets may be limited or precluded by these or other factors at a time when we would like, or need, to do so, which would adversely impact our ability to refinance maturing debt and/or react to changing economic and business conditions. Due to
disruptions in the floating rate tax-exempt bond market where the interest rates reset weekly and in the credit markets perception of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which guaranty and provide liquidity for these bonds, we have experienced and
could experience in the future an increase in interest rates on these debt obligations. These bonds could also be put to our consolidated subsidiaries if Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac fail to satisfy their guaranty obligations. While this obligation is
in almost all cases non-recourse to us, this could cause the Company to have to repay these obligations on short notice or risk foreclosure actions on the collateralized assets. Furthermore, while we believe Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will continue
to provide liquidity to our sector, should they discontinue doing so, have their mandates changed or reduced or be disbanded by the government, it would significantly reduce our access to debt capital and/or increase borrowing costs and would
significantly reduce our sales of assets. Uncertainty in the credit markets could negatively impact our ability to make acquisitions and make it more difficult or not possible for us to sell properties or may adversely affect the price we receive
for properties that we do sell, as prospective buyers may experience increased costs of debt financing or difficulties in obtaining debt financing. Potential continued disruptions in the financial markets could also have other unknown adverse
effects on us or the economy generally and may cause the price of our Common Shares to fluctuate significantly and/or to decline.

Although we have not experienced any material
counterparty non-performance, the disruption in financial and credit markets could, among other things, impede the ability of our counterparties to perform on their contractual obligations. There are multiple financial institutions that are
individually committed to lend us varying amounts as part of our revolving credit facility. Should any of these institutions fail to fund their committed amounts when contractually required, our financial condition could be adversely affected.
Should several of these institutions fail to fund, we could experience significant financial distress.

One of the financial institutions,
with a commitment of $75.0 million, has recently declared bankruptcy and it is unlikely that they would honor their financial commitment. Our borrowing capacity under the credit facility has in essence been permanently reduced to $1.425 billion. The
Company also has several assets under development with joint venture partners which were financed by financial institutions that are suffering varying degrees of distress. If one or more of these lenders fail to fund when contractually required, the
Company or its joint venture partner may be unable to complete construction of its development properties. In addition, the parent of one of the Companys insurance providers has also experienced liquidity issues and while there has yet to be
any non-performance, should any occur it could negatively impact the Company. Should any of our other major insurance providers experience similar financial or other distress, it could negatively impact the Company. Finally, we are also party to
various derivative contracts with a number of counterparties. Any failure of any of our counterparties to perform under these contracts could negatively impact us.

A significant downgrade in our credit ratings, while not affecting our ability to draw proceeds under the revolving credit facility, would cause our
borrowing costs to increase under the facility and also would impact our ability to borrow secured and unsecured debt by increasing borrowing costs, or otherwise limit our access to capital. In addition, a downgrade below investment grade would
require us to post cash collateral and/or letters of credit in favor of some of our secured lenders to cover our self-insured property and liability insurance deductibles.

In the future, our cash flow could be insufficient to meet required payments of principal and interest or to pay distributions on our securities at
expected levels.

We may not be able to refinance existing debt, including joint venture indebtedness (which in virtually all cases
requires substantial principal payments at maturity) and, if we can, the terms of such refinancing might not be as favorable as the terms of existing indebtedness. If principal payments due at maturity cannot be refinanced, extended or paid with
proceeds of other capital transactions, such as new equity capital, our cash flow will not be sufficient in all years to repay all maturing debt. As a result, certain of our other debt may cross default, we may be forced to postpone capital
expenditures necessary for the maintenance of our properties, we may have to dispose of one or more properties on terms that would otherwise be unacceptable to us or we may be forced to allow the mortgage holder to foreclose on a property.

Please refer to Item 7, Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, for the
Companys debt maturity schedule as of December 31, 2008.

If a property we own is mortgaged to secure debt and we are unable to meet the mortgage payments, the holder of
the mortgage could foreclose on the property, resulting in loss of income and asset value. Foreclosure on mortgaged properties or an inability to refinance existing indebtedness would likely have a negative impact on our financial condition and
results of operations.

The mortgages on our properties may contain customary negative covenants that, among other things, limit our
ability, without the prior consent of the lender, to further mortgage the property and to reduce or change insurance coverage. In addition, our unsecured credit facilities contain certain restrictions, requirements and other limitations on our
ability to incur debt. The indentures under which a substantial portion of our unsecured debt was issued also contain certain financial and operating covenants including, among other things, maintenance of certain financial ratios, as well as
limitations on our ability to incur secured and unsecured debt (including acquisition financing), and to sell all or substantially all of our assets. Our credit facilities and indentures are cross-defaulted and also contain cross default provisions
with other material debt. The Company believes it was in compliance with its unsecured public debt covenants for both the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007.

Some of the properties were financed with tax-exempt bonds that contain certain restrictive covenants or deed restrictions. We have retained an independent outside consultant to monitor compliance with the restrictive
covenants and deed restrictions that affect these properties. If these bond compliance requirements restrict our ability to increase our rental rates to attract low or moderate-income residents, or eligible/qualified residents, then our income from
these properties may be limited. Generally, we believe that the interest rate benefit attendant to properties with tax-exempt bonds more than outweighs any loss of income due to restrictive covenants or deed restrictions.

Our consolidated debt-to-total market capitalization ratio was 54.3% as of December 31, 2008. Our degree of leverage could have important
consequences to security holders. For example, the degree of leverage could affect our ability to obtain additional financing in the future for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, development or other general corporate purposes,
making us more vulnerable to a downturn in business or the economy in general.

Advances under our credit facilities bear interest at variable rates based upon LIBOR at various interest periods, plus a spread
dependent upon the Operating Partnerships credit rating, or based upon bids received from the

lending group. Certain public issuances of our senior unsecured debt instruments may also, from time to time, bear interest at floating rates. We may also
borrow additional money with variable interest rates in the future. Increases in interest rates would increase our interest expense under these debt instruments and would increase the costs of refinancing existing debt and of issuing new debt.
Accordingly, higher interest rates could adversely affect cash flow and our ability to service our debt and to make distributions to security holders. We use interest rate hedging arrangements to manage our exposure to interest rate volatility, but
these arrangements may expose us to additional risks, and no strategy can completely insulate us from risks associated with interest rate fluctuations. There can be no assurance that our hedging arrangements will have the desired beneficial impact
and may involve costs, such as transaction fees or breakage costs, if we terminate them.

We depend on the efforts of the Chairman of our Board of Trustees, Samuel Zell, and our executive officers, particularly David J. Neithercut, our
President and Chief Executive Officer. If they resign or otherwise cease to be employed by us, our operations could be temporarily adversely affected. Mr. Zell has entered into retirement benefit and noncompetition agreements with the Company.

In the event the Chairman of the Board and/or the CEO are unable to serve, (i) the Lead Trustee will automatically be appointed to
serve as the interim successor to the Chairman, (ii) the Chairman will automatically be appointed to serve as the interim successor to the CEO and (iii) the Chair of the Compensation Committee of the Board will immediately call a meeting
of the Committee to recommend to the full Board the selection of a permanent replacement for either or both positions, as necessary.

The consent of certain affiliates
of Mr. Zell is required for certain amendments to the Fifth Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Operating Partnership (the Partnership Agreement). As a result of their security ownership and rights
concerning amendments to the Partnership Agreement, the security holders referred to herein may have influence over the Company. Although these security holders have not agreed to act together on any matter, they would be in a position to exercise
even more influence over the Companys affairs if they were to act together in the future. This influence could conceivably be exercised in a manner that is inconsistent with the interests of other security holders. For additional information
regarding the security ownership of our trustees, including Mr. Zell, and our executive officers, see the Companys definitive proxy statement.

Shareholders Ability to Effect Changes in Control of the Company is Limited

Certain provisions of our Declaration of Trust and Bylaws may delay or prevent a
change in control of the Company or other transactions that could provide the security holders with a premium over the then-prevailing market price of their securities or which might otherwise be in the best interest of our security holders. This
includes the 5% Ownership Limit described below. While our existing preferred shares do not have these provisions, any future series of preferred shares may have certain voting provisions that could delay or prevent a change in control or other
transactions that might otherwise be in the interest of our security holders. In 2008, we adopted amendments to our Bylaws to expand the information required to be provided by any security holder, or persons acting in concert with such security
holder, who proposes business or a nominee at an annual meeting of shareholders, including disclosure of information related to hedging activities and investment strategies with respect to our securities. These amendments could delay or prevent a
change in control or other transactions that might otherwise be in the interest of our security holders.

To remain qualified as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, not more than 50% in value of our
outstanding Shares may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals at any time during the last half of any year. To facilitate maintenance of our REIT qualification, our Declaration of Trust, subject to certain exceptions,
prohibits ownership by any single shareholder of more than 5% of the lesser of the number or value of the outstanding class of common or preferred shares. We refer to this restriction as the Ownership Limit. Absent any exemption or
waiver granted by our Board of Trustees, securities acquired or held in violation of the Ownership Limit will be transferred to a trust for the exclusive benefit of a designated charitable beneficiary, and the security holders rights to
distributions and to vote would terminate. A transfer of Shares may be void if it causes a person to violate the

Ownership Limit. The Ownership Limit could delay or prevent a change in control and, therefore, could adversely affect our security holders ability to
realize a premium over the then-prevailing market price for their Shares. To reduce the ability of the Board to use the Ownership Limit as an anti-takeover device, in 2004 the Company amended the Ownership Limit to require, rather than permit, the
Board to grant a waiver of the Ownership Limit if the individual seeking a waiver demonstrates that such ownership would not jeopardize the Companys status as a REIT.

Our Declaration of Trust authorizes the Board of Trustees to issue up to 100 million preferred shares, and to establish the preferences and rights (including the right to vote and the right to convert into common
shares) of any preferred shares issued. The Board of Trustees may use its powers to issue preferred shares and to set the terms of such securities to delay or prevent a change in control of the Company, even if a change in control were in the
interest of security holders.

Certain provisions of Maryland law applicable to real estate investment trusts prohibit business combinations (including certain issuances of
equity securities) with any person who beneficially owns ten percent or more of the voting power of outstanding securities, or with an affiliate who, at any time within the two-year period prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner of
ten percent or more of the voting power of the Companys outstanding voting securities (an Interested Shareholder), or with an affiliate of an Interested Shareholder. These prohibitions last for five years after the most recent date
on which the Interested Shareholder became an Interested Shareholder. After the five-year period, a business combination with an Interested Shareholder must be approved by two super-majority shareholder votes unless, among other conditions, holders
of common shares receive a minimum price for their shares and the consideration is received in cash or in the same form as previously paid by the Interested Shareholder for its common shares. As permitted by Maryland law, however, the Board of
Trustees of the Company has opted out of these restrictions with respect to any business combination involving Mr. Zell and certain of his affiliates and persons acting in concert with them. Consequently, the five-year prohibition and the
super-majority vote requirements will not apply to a business combination involving us and/or any of them. Such business combinations may not be in the best interest of our security holders.

Our Success as a REIT Is Dependent on Compliance with Federal Income Tax Requirements

We believe that we have qualified for taxation as a REIT for federal income tax purposes since our taxable year ended December 31, 1992 based, in
part, upon opinions of tax counsel received whenever we have issued equity securities or engaged in significant merger transactions. We plan to continue to meet the requirements for taxation as a REIT. Many of these requirements, however, are highly
technical and complex. We cannot, therefore, guarantee that we have qualified or will qualify in the future as a REIT. The determination that we are a REIT requires an analysis of various factual matters that may not be totally within our control.
For example, to qualify as a REIT, our gross income must generally come from rental and other real estate or passive related sources that are itemized in the REIT tax laws. We are also required to distribute to security holders at least 90% of our
REIT taxable income excluding capital gains. The fact that we hold our assets through ERP Operating Limited Partnership and its subsidiaries further complicates the application of the REIT requirements. Even a technical or inadvertent mistake could
jeopardize our REIT status. Furthermore, Congress and the IRS might make changes to the tax laws and regulations, and the courts might issue new rulings that make it more difficult, or impossible, for us to remain qualified as a REIT. We do not
believe, however, that any pending or proposed tax law changes would jeopardize our REIT status. In addition, Congress and the IRS have recently liberalized the REIT qualification rules to permit REITs in certain circumstances to pay a
monetary penalty for inadvertent mistakes rather than lose REIT status.

If we fail to qualify as a REIT, we would be subject to federal
income tax at regular corporate rates. Also, unless the IRS granted us relief under certain statutory provisions, we would remain disqualified as a REIT for four years following the year we first failed to qualify. If we fail to qualify as a REIT,
we would have to pay significant income taxes. We, therefore, would have less money available for investments or for distributions to security holders. This would likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of our securities. In addition,
we would no longer be required to make any distributions to security holders. Even if we qualify as a REIT, we are and will continue to be subject to certain federal, state and local taxes on our income and property. In addition, our corporate
housing business and condominium conversion business, which are conducted through taxable REIT subsidiaries, generally will be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates to the extent they have taxable income.

If any of our prior merger partners had failed to qualify as a REIT throughout the duration of their existence, then they might
have had undistributed C corporation earnings and profits at the time of their merger with us. If that was the case and we did not distribute those earnings and profits prior to the end of the year in which the merger took place, we
might not qualify as a REIT. We believe based, in part, upon opinions of legal counsel received pursuant to the terms of our merger agreements as well as our own investigations, among other things, that each of our prior merger partners qualified as
a REIT and that, in any event, none of them had any undistributed C corporation earnings and profits at the time of their merger with us. If any of our prior merger partners failed to qualify as a REIT, an additional concern would be
that they would have recognized taxable gain at the time they merged with us. We would be liable for the tax on such gain. In this event, we could have to pay corporate income tax on any gain existing at the time of the applicable merger on assets
acquired in the merger if the assets are sold within ten years of the merger. Finally, we could be precluded from electing REIT status for up to four years after the year in which the predecessor entity failed to qualify for REIT status.

We may be required from time to time, under certain circumstances, to accrue as income for tax purposes interest and rent earned but not yet received. In
such event, or upon our repayment of principal on debt, we could have taxable income without sufficient cash to enable us to meet the distribution requirements of a REIT. Accordingly, we could be required to borrow funds or liquidate investments on
adverse terms in order to meet these distribution requirements.

During 2008, we did make, and under certain circumstances may consider making again in the future, a tax election to treat
future distributions to shareholders as distributions in the current year. This election, which is provided for in the REIT tax code, may allow us to avoid increasing our dividends or paying additional income taxes in the current year. However, this
could result in a constraint on our ability to decrease our dividends in future years without creating risk of either violating the REIT distribution requirements or generating additional income tax liability.

The following discussion summarizes the federal income tax considerations material to a holder of common shares. It is not
exhaustive of all possible tax considerations. For example, it does not give a detailed discussion of any state, local or foreign tax considerations. The following discussion also does not address all tax matters that may be relevant to prospective
shareholders in light of their particular circumstances. Moreover, it does not address all tax matters that may be relevant to shareholders who are subject to special treatment under the tax laws, such as insurance companies, tax-exempt entities,
financial institutions or broker-dealers, foreign corporations and persons who are not citizens or residents of the United States.

The
specific tax attributes of a particular shareholder could have a material impact on the tax considerations associated with the purchase, ownership and disposition of common shares. Therefore, it is essential that each prospective shareholder consult
with his or her own tax advisors with regard to the application of the federal income tax laws to the shareholders personal tax situation, as well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or foreign taxing
jurisdiction.

The information in this section is based on the current Internal Revenue Code, current, temporary and proposed Treasury
regulations, the legislative history of the Internal Revenue Code, current administrative interpretations and practices of the Internal Revenue Service, including its practices and policies as set forth in private letter rulings, which are not
binding on the Internal Revenue Service, and existing court decisions. Future legislation, regulations, administrative interpretations and court decisions could change current law or adversely affect existing interpretations of current law. Any
change could apply retroactively. Thus, it is possible that the Internal Revenue Service could challenge the statements in this discussion, which do not bind the Internal Revenue Service or the courts, and that a court could agree with the Internal
Revenue Service.

We elected REIT status beginning with the year that ended December 31, 1992. In any year in which we qualify as a REIT, we generally will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of our REIT taxable
income or capital gain that we distribute to our shareholders. This treatment substantially eliminates the double taxation that applies to most corporations, which pay a tax on their income and then distribute dividends to shareholders who are in
turn taxed on the amount they receive. We elected taxable REIT subsidiary status for certain of our corporate subsidiaries, primarily those engaged in condominium conversion and sale activities. As a result, we will be subject to federal income
taxes for activities performed by our taxable REIT subsidiaries.

We will be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates upon
our REIT taxable income or capital gain that we do not distribute to our shareholders. In addition, we will be subject to a 4% excise tax if we do not satisfy specific REIT distribution requirements. We could also be subject to the alternative
minimum tax on our items of tax preference. In addition, any net income from prohibited transactions (i.e., dispositions of property, other than property held by a taxable REIT subsidiary, held primarily for sale to customers in
the ordinary course of business) will be subject to a 100% tax. We could also be subject to a 100% penalty tax on certain payments received from or on certain expenses deducted by a taxable REIT subsidiary if any such transaction is not respected by
the Internal Revenue Service. If we fail to satisfy the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test (described below) but have maintained our qualification as a REIT because we satisfied certain other requirements, we will still generally be
subject to a 100% penalty tax on the taxable income attributable to the gross income that caused the income test failure. If we fail to satisfy any of the REIT asset tests (described below) by more than a de minimis amount, due to reasonable
cause, and we nonetheless maintain our REIT qualification because of specified cure provisions, we will be required to pay a tax equal to the greater of $50,000 or the highest marginal corporate tax rate multiplied by the net income generated by the
non-qualifying assets. If we fail to satisfy any provision of the Internal Revenue Code that would result in our failure to qualify as a REIT (other than a violation of the REIT gross income or asset tests described below) and the violation is due
to reasonable cause, we may retain our REIT qualification but we will be required to pay a penalty of $50,000 for each such failure. Moreover, we may be subject to taxes in certain situations and on certain transactions that we do not presently
contemplate.

We believe that we have qualified as a REIT for all of our taxable years beginning with 1992. We also believe that our
current structure and method of operation is such that we will continue to qualify as a REIT. However, given the complexity of the REIT qualification requirements, we cannot provide any assurance that the actual results of our operations have
satisfied or will satisfy the requirements under the Internal Revenue Code for a particular year.

If we fail to qualify for taxation as a
REIT in any taxable year and the relief provisions described herein do not apply, we will be subject to tax on our taxable income at regular corporate rates. We also may be subject to the corporate alternative minimum tax. As a result,
our failure to qualify as a REIT would significantly reduce the cash we have available to distribute to our shareholders. Unless entitled to statutory relief, we would not be able to re-elect to be taxed as a REIT until our fifth taxable year after
the year of disqualification. It is not possible to state whether we would be entitled to statutory relief.

Our qualification and taxation
as a REIT depend on our ability to satisfy various requirements under the Internal Revenue Code. We are required to satisfy these requirements on a continuing basis through actual annual operating and other results. Accordingly, there can be no
assurance that we will be able to continue to operate in a manner so as to remain qualified as a REIT.

Ownership of Taxable REIT
Subsidiaries by Us. The Internal Revenue Code provides that REITs may own greater than ten percent of the voting power and value of the securities of taxable REIT subsidiaries or TRSs, which are corporations
subject to tax as a regular C corporation that have elected, jointly with a REIT, to be a TRS. Generally, a taxable REIT subsidiary may own assets that cannot otherwise be owned by a REIT and can perform impermissible tenant services
(discussed below), which would otherwise taint our rental income under the REIT income tests. However, the REIT will be obligated to pay a 100% penalty tax on some payments that we receive or on certain expenses deducted by our TRSs if the economic
arrangements between us, our tenants and the TRS are not comparable to similar arrangements among unrelated parties. A TRS may also receive income from prohibited transactions without incurring the 100% federal income tax liability imposed on REITs.
Income from prohibited transactions may include the purchase and sale of land, the purchase and sale of completed development properties and the sale of condominium units.

TRSs pay federal and state income tax at the full applicable corporate rates. The amount of taxes paid on
impermissible tenant services income and the sale of real estate held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business may be material in amount. The TRSs will attempt to reduce, if possible, the amount of these taxes, but we
cannot guarantee whether, or the extent to which, measures taken to reduce these taxes will be successful. To the extent that these companies are required to pay taxes, less cash may be available for distributions to shareholders.

Share Ownership Test and Organizational Requirement. In order to qualify as a REIT, our shares of beneficial interest must be
held by a minimum of 100 persons for at least 335 days of a taxable year that is 12 months, or during a proportionate part of a taxable year of less than 12 months. Also, not more than 50% in value of our shares of beneficial interest may be owned
directly or indirectly by applying certain constructive ownership rules, by five or fewer individuals during the last half of each taxable year. In addition, we must meet certain other organizational requirements, including, but not limited to, that
(i) the beneficial ownership in us is evidenced by transferable shares and (ii) we are managed by one or more trustees. We believe that we have satisfied all of these tests and all other organizational requirements and that we will
continue to do so in the future. In order to ensure compliance with the 100 person test and the 50% share ownership test discussed above, we have placed certain restrictions on the transfer of our shares that are intended to prevent further
concentration of share ownership. However, such restrictions may not prevent us from failing these requirements, and thereby failing to qualify as a REIT.

Gross Income Tests. To qualify as a REIT, we must satisfy two gross income tests:

(1)

At least 75% of our gross income for each taxable year must be derived directly or indirectly from rents from real property, investments in real estate and/or real estate mortgages,
dividends paid by another REIT and from some types of temporary investments (excluding certain hedging income).

(2)

At least 95% of our gross income for each taxable year must be derived from any combination of income qualifying under the 75% test and dividends, non-real estate mortgage interest
and gain from the sale or disposition of stock or securities (excluding certain hedging income).

To qualify as rents from
real property for the purpose of satisfying the gross income tests, rental payments must generally be received from unrelated persons and not be based on the net income of the resident. Also, the rent attributable to personal property must not
exceed 15% of the total rent. We may generally provide services to residents without tainting our rental income only if such services are usually or customarily rendered in connection with the rental of real property and not
otherwise considered impermissible services. If such services are impermissible, then we may generally provide them only if they are considered de minimis in amount, or are provided through an independent contractor from whom we derive
no revenue and that meets other requirements, or through a taxable REIT subsidiary. We believe that services provided to residents by us either are usually or customarily rendered in connection with the rental of real property and not otherwise
considered impermissible, or, if considered impermissible services, will meet the de minimis test or will be provided by an independent contractor or taxable REIT subsidiary. However, we cannot provide any assurance that the Internal Revenue
Service will agree with these positions.

If we fail to satisfy one or both of the gross income tests for any taxable year, we may
nevertheless qualify as a REIT for the year if we are entitled to relief under certain provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. In this case, a penalty tax would still be applicable as discussed above. Generally, it is not possible to state whether
in all circumstances we would be entitled to the benefit of these relief provisions and in the event these relief provisions do not apply, we will not qualify as a REIT.

Asset Tests. In general, at the close of each quarter of our taxable year, we must satisfy four tests relating to the nature of our assets:

(1)

At least 75% of the value of our total assets must be represented by real estate assets (which include for this purpose shares in other real estate investment trusts) and certain
cash related items;

(2)

Not more than 25% of the value of our total assets may be represented by securities other than those in the 75% asset class;

(3)

Except for securities includable in item 1 above, equity investments in other REITs, qualified REIT subsidiaries (i.e., corporations owned 100% by a REIT that are not TRSs or
REITs), or taxable REIT subsidiaries: (a) the value of any one issuers securities owned by us may not exceed 5% of the value of our total assets and (b) we may not own securities representing more than 10% of the voting power or
value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer; and

(4)

Not more than 20% (25% for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2008) of the value of our total assets may be represented by securities of one or more taxable REIT
subsidiaries.

The 10% value test described in clause
(3) (b) above does not apply to certain securities that fall within a safe harbor under the Code. Under the safe harbor, the following are not considered securities held by us for purposes of this 10% value test:
(i) straight debt securities, (ii) any loan of an individual or an estate, (iii) certain rental agreements for the use of tangible property, (iv) any obligation to pay rents from real property, (v) any security issued by a
state or any political subdivision thereof, foreign government or Puerto Rico only if the determination of any payment under such security is not based on the profits of another entity or payments on any obligation issued by such other entity, or
(vi) any security issued by a REIT. The timing and payment of interest or principal on a security qualifying as straight debt may be subject to a contingency provided that (A) such contingency does not change the effective yield to
maturity, not considering a de minimis change which does not exceed the greater of 1/4 of 1% or 5% of the annual yield to
maturity or we own $1,000,000 or less of the aggregate issue price or value of the particular issuers debt and not more than 12 months of unaccrued interest can be required to be prepaid or (B) the contingency is consistent with
commercial practice and the contingency is effective upon a default or the exercise of a prepayment right by the issuer of the debt. If we hold indebtedness from any issuer, including a REIT, the indebtedness will be subject to, and may cause a
violation of, the asset tests, unless it is a qualifying real estate asset or otherwise satisfies the above safe harbor. We currently own equity interests in certain entities that have elected to be taxed as REITs for federal income tax purposes and
are not publicly traded. If any such entity were to fail to qualify as a REIT, we would not meet the 10% voting stock limitation and the 10% value limitation and we would, unless certain relief provisions applied, fail to qualify as a REIT. We
believe that we and each of the REITs we own an interest in have and will comply with the foregoing asset tests for REIT qualification. However, we cannot provide any assurance that the Internal Revenue Service will agree with our determinations.

If we fail to satisfy the 5% or 10% asset tests described above after a 30-day cure period provided in the Internal Revenue Code,
we will be deemed to have met such tests if the value of our non-qualifying assets is de minimis (i.e., does not exceed the lesser of 1% of the total value of our assets at the end of the applicable quarter or $10,000,000) and we dispose of
the non-qualifying assets within six months after the last day of the quarter in which the failure to satisfy the asset tests is discovered. For violations due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect that are in excess of the de minimis
exception described above, we may avoid disqualification as a REIT under any of the asset tests, after the 30-day cure period, by disposing of sufficient assets to meet the asset test within such six month period, paying a tax equal to the greater
of $50,000 or the highest corporate tax rate multiplied by the net income generated by the non-qualifying assets and disclosing certain information to the Internal Revenue Service. If we cannot avail ourselves of these relief provisions, or if we
fail to timely cure any noncompliance with the asset tests, we would cease to qualify as a REIT.

Annual Distribution
Requirements. To qualify as a REIT, we are generally required to distribute dividends, other than capital gain dividends, to our shareholders each year in an amount at least equal to 90% of our REIT taxable income. These distributions
must be paid either in the taxable year to which they relate, or in the following taxable year if declared before we timely file our tax return for the prior year and if paid with or before the first regular dividend payment date after the
declaration is made. We intend to make timely distributions sufficient to satisfy our annual distribution requirements. To the extent that we do not distribute all of our net capital gain or distribute at least 90%, but less than 100% of our REIT
taxable income, as adjusted, we are subject to tax on these amounts at regular corporate rates. We will be subject to a 4% excise tax on the excess of the required distribution over the sum of amounts actually distributed and amounts retained for
which federal income tax was paid, if we fail to distribute during each calendar year at least the sum of: (1) 85% of our REIT ordinary income for the year; (2) 95% of our REIT capital gain net income for the year; and (3) any
undistributed taxable income from prior taxable years. A REIT may elect to retain rather than distribute all or a portion of its net capital gains and pay the tax on the gains. In that case, a REIT may elect to have its shareholders include their
proportionate share of the undistributed net capital gains in income as long-term capital gains and receive a credit for their share of the tax paid by the REIT. For purposes of the 4% excise tax described above, any retained amounts would be
treated as having been distributed.

Ownership of Partnership Interests By Us. As a result of our ownership of the
Operating Partnership, we will be considered to own and derive our proportionate share of the assets and items of income of the Operating Partnership, respectively, for purposes of the REIT asset and income tests, including its share of assets and
items of income of any subsidiaries that are partnerships or limited liability companies.

State and Local Taxes. We may
be subject to state or local taxation in various jurisdictions, including those in which we transact business or reside. Our state and local tax treatment may not conform to the federal income tax treatment discussed above. Consequently, prospective
shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the effect of state and local tax laws on an investment in common shares.

General. If we qualify as a REIT, distributions made to our taxable domestic shareholders with respect to their common shares, other
than capital gain distributions and distributions attributable to taxable REIT subsidiaries, will be treated as ordinary income to the extent that the distributions come out of earnings and profits. These distributions will not be eligible for the
dividends received deduction for shareholders that are corporations nor will they constitute qualified dividend income under the Internal Revenue Code, meaning that such dividends will be taxed at marginal rates applicable to ordinary
income rather than the special capital gain rates currently applicable to qualified dividend income distributed to shareholders who satisfy applicable holding period requirements. In determining whether distributions are out of earnings and profits,
we will allocate our earnings and profits first to preferred shares and second to the common shares. The portion of ordinary dividends which represent ordinary dividends we receive from a TRS, will be designated as qualified dividend
income to REIT shareholders and are eligible for preferential tax rates if paid to our non-corporate shareholders.

To the extent we
make distributions to our taxable domestic shareholders in excess of our earnings and profits, such distributions will be considered a return of capital. Such distributions will be treated as a tax-free distribution and will reduce the tax basis of
a shareholders common shares by the amount of the distribution so treated. To the extent such distributions cumulatively exceed a taxable domestic shareholders tax basis; such distributions are taxable as a gain from the sale of shares.
Shareholders may not include in their individual income tax returns any of our net operating losses or capital losses.

Dividends declared
by a REIT in October, November, or December are deemed to have been paid by the REIT and received by its shareholders on December 31 of that year, so long as the dividends are actually paid during January of the following year. However, this
treatment only applies to the extent of the REITs earnings and profits existing on December 31. To the extent the shareholder distribution paid in January exceeds available earnings and profits as of December 31, the excess will be
treated as a distribution taxable to shareholders in the year paid. As such, for tax reporting purposes, January distributions paid to our shareholders may be split between two tax years.

Distributions made by us that we properly designate as capital gain dividends will be taxable to taxable domestic shareholders as gain from the sale or
exchange of a capital asset held for more than one year. This treatment applies only to the extent that the designated distributions do not exceed our actual net capital gain for the taxable year. It applies regardless of the period for which a
domestic shareholder has held his or her common shares. Despite this general rule, corporate shareholders may be required to treat up to 20% of certain capital gain dividends as ordinary income.

Generally, we will classify a portion of our designated capital gain dividends as a 15% rate gain distribution and the remaining portion as an
unrecaptured Section 1250 gain distribution. A 15% rate gain distribution would be taxable to taxable domestic shareholders that are individuals, estates or trusts at a maximum rate of 15%. An unrecaptured Section 1250 gain distribution
would be taxable to taxable domestic shareholders that are individuals, estates or trusts at a maximum rate of 25%.

If, for any taxable
year, we elect to designate as capital gain dividends any portion of the dividends paid or made available for the year to holders of all classes of shares of beneficial interest, then the portion of the capital gains dividends that will be allocable
to the holders of common shares will be the total capital gain dividends multiplied by a fraction. The numerator of the fraction will be the total dividends paid or made available to the holders of the common shares for the year. The denominator of
the fraction will be the total dividends paid or made available to holders of all classes of shares of beneficial interest.

We may elect
to retain (rather than distribute as is generally required) net capital gain for a taxable year and pay the income tax on that gain. If we make this election, shareholders must include in income, as long-term capital gain, their proportionate share
of the undistributed net capital gain. Shareholders will be treated as having paid their proportionate share of the tax paid by us on these gains. Accordingly, they will receive a tax credit or refund for the amount. Shareholders will increase the
basis in their common shares by the difference between the amount of capital gain included in their income and the amount of the tax they are treated as having paid. Our earnings and profits will be adjusted appropriately.

In general, a shareholder will recognize gain or loss for federal income tax purposes on the sale or other disposition of common shares in an amount
equal to the difference between:

the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received in the sale or other disposition; and

(b)

the shareholders adjusted tax basis in the common shares.

The gain or loss will be capital gain or loss if the common shares were held as a capital asset. Generally, the capital gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if the common shares were held for more than one year.

In general, a loss recognized by a shareholder upon the sale of common shares that were held for six months or less, determined after applying certain
holding period rules, will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent that the shareholder received distributions that were treated as long-term capital gains. For shareholders who are individuals, trusts and estates, the long-term capital
loss will be apportioned among the applicable long-term capital gain rates to the extent that distributions received by the shareholder were previously so treated.

Most tax-exempt organizations are not subject
to federal income tax except to the extent of their unrelated business taxable income, which is often referred to as UBTI. Unless a tax-exempt shareholder holds its common shares as debt financed property or uses the common shares in an unrelated
trade or business, distributions to the shareholder should not constitute UBTI. Similarly, if a tax-exempt shareholder sells common shares, the income from the sale should not constitute UBTI unless the shareholder held the shares as debt financed
property or used the shares in a trade or business.

However, for tax-exempt shareholders that are social clubs, voluntary employee benefit
associations, supplemental unemployment benefit trusts, and qualified group legal services plans, income from owning or selling common shares will constitute UBTI unless the organization is able to properly deduct amounts set aside or placed in
reserve so as to offset the income generated by its investment in common shares. These shareholders should consult their own tax advisors concerning these set aside and reserve requirements which are set forth in the Internal Revenue Code.

In addition, certain pension trusts that own more than 10% of a pension-held REIT must report a portion of the distributions
that they receive from the REIT as UBTI. We have not been and do not expect to be treated as a pension-held REIT for purposes of this rule.

The following is a discussion of certain anticipated United States federal income
tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of common shares applicable to a foreign shareholder. For purposes of this discussion, a foreign shareholder is any person other than:

(a)

a citizen or resident of the United States;

(b)

a corporation or partnership created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the United States or of any state thereof; or

(c)

an estate or trust whose income is includable in gross income for United States federal income tax purposes regardless of its source.

Distributions by Us. Distributions by us to a foreign shareholder that are neither attributable to gain from sales or exchanges
by us of United States real property interests nor designated by us as capital gains dividends will be treated as dividends of ordinary income to the extent that they are made out of our earnings and profits. These distributions ordinarily will be
subject to withholding of United States federal income tax on a gross basis at a 30% rate, or a lower treaty rate, unless the dividends are treated as effectively connected with the conduct by the foreign shareholder of a United States trade or
business. Please note that under certain treaties lower withholding rates generally applicable to dividends do not apply to dividends from REITs. Dividends that are effectively connected with a United States trade or business will be subject to tax
on a net basis at graduated rates, and are generally not subject to withholding. Certification and disclosure requirements must be satisfied before a dividend is exempt from withholding under this exemption. A foreign shareholder that is a
corporation also may be subject to an additional branch profits tax at a 30% rate or a lower treaty rate.

We expect to withhold United States income tax at the rate of 30% on any distributions made to a foreign
shareholder unless:

(a)

a lower treaty rate applies and any required form or certification evidencing eligibility for that reduced rate is filed with us; or

(b)

the foreign shareholder files an IRS Form W-8ECI with us claiming that the distribution is effectively connected income.

A distribution in excess of our current or accumulated earnings and profits will not be taxable to a foreign shareholder to the extent that the
distribution does not exceed the adjusted basis of the shareholders common shares. Instead, the distribution will reduce the adjusted basis of the common shares. To the extent that the distribution exceeds the adjusted basis of the common
shares, it will give rise to gain from the sale or exchange of the shareholders common shares. The tax treatment of this gain is described below.

We intend to withhold at a rate of 30%, or a lower applicable treaty rate, on the entire amount of any distribution not designated as a capital gain distribution. In such event, a foreign shareholder may seek a refund
of the withheld amount from the IRS if it is subsequently determined that the distribution was, in fact, in excess of our earnings and profits, and the amount withheld exceeded the foreign shareholders United States tax liability with respect
to the distribution.

Any capital gain dividend with respect to any class of our stock which is regularly traded on an
established securities market, will be treated as an ordinary dividend described above, if the foreign shareholder did not own more than 5% of such class of stock at any time during the one year period ending on the date of the distribution. Foreign
shareholders generally will not be required to report distributions received from us on U.S. federal income tax returns and all distributions treated as dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes, including any capital gain dividends, will be
subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax (unless reduced or eliminated under an applicable income tax treaty), as described above. In addition, the branch profits tax will no longer apply to such distributions.

Distributions to a foreign shareholder that we designate at the time of the distributions as capital gain dividends, other than those arising from the
disposition of a United States real property interest, generally will not be subject to United States federal income taxation unless:

(a)

the investment in the common shares is effectively connected with the foreign shareholders United States trade or business, in which case the foreign shareholder will be
subject to the same treatment as domestic shareholders, except that a shareholder that is a foreign corporation may also be subject to the branch profits tax, as discussed above; or

(b)

the foreign shareholder is a nonresident alien individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year and has a tax home in the
United States, in which case the nonresident alien individual will be subject to a 30% tax on the individuals capital gains.

Except as described above, under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act, which is known as FIRPTA, distributions to a foreign shareholder that are attributable to gain from sales or exchanges of United States real property
interests will cause the foreign shareholder to be treated as recognizing the gain as income effectively connected with a United States trade or business. This rule applies whether or not a distribution is designated as a capital gain dividend.
Accordingly, foreign shareholders generally would be taxed on these distributions at the same rates applicable to U.S. shareholders, subject to a special alternative minimum tax in the case of nonresident alien individuals. In addition, a foreign
corporate shareholder might be subject to the branch profits tax discussed above, as well as U.S. federal income tax return filing requirements. We are required to withhold 35% of these distributions. The withheld amount can be credited against the
foreign shareholders United States federal income tax liability.

Although the law is not entirely clear on the matter, it appears
that amounts we designate as undistributed capital gains in respect of the common shares held by U.S. shareholders would be treated with respect to foreign shareholders in the same manner as actual distributions of capital gain dividends. Under that
approach, foreign shareholders would be able to offset as a credit against the United States federal income tax liability their proportionate share of the tax paid by us on these undistributed capital gains. In addition, foreign shareholders would
be able to receive from the IRS a refund to the extent their proportionate share of the tax paid by us were to exceed their actual United States federal income tax liability.

Foreign Shareholders Sales of Common Shares. Gain recognized by a foreign
shareholder upon the sale or exchange of common shares generally will not be subject to United States taxation unless the shares constitute a United States real property interest within the meaning of FIRPTA. The common shares will not
constitute a United States real property interest so long as we are a domestically controlled REIT. A domestically controlled REIT is a REIT in which at all times during a specified testing period less than 50% in value of its stock is held directly
or indirectly by foreign shareholders. We believe that we are a domestically controlled REIT. Therefore, we believe that the sale of common shares will not be subject to taxation under FIRPTA. However, because common shares and preferred shares are
publicly traded, we cannot guarantee that we will continue to be a domestically controlled REIT. In any event, gain from the sale or exchange of common shares not otherwise subject to FIRPTA will be subject to U.S. tax, if either:

(a)

the investment in the common shares is effectively connected with the foreign shareholders United States trade or business, in which case the foreign shareholder will be
subject to the same treatment as domestic shareholders with respect to the gain; or

(b)

the foreign shareholder is a nonresident alien individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year and has a tax home in the United States,
in which case the nonresident alien individual will be subject to a 30% tax on the individuals capital gains.

Even if
we do not qualify as or cease to be a domestically controlled REIT, gain arising from the sale or exchange by a foreign shareholder of common shares still would not be subject to United States taxation under FIRPTA as a sale of a United States real
property interest if:

(a)

the class or series of shares being sold is regularly traded, as defined by applicable IRS regulations, on an established securities market such as the New York
Stock Exchange; and

(b)

the selling foreign shareholder owned 5% or less of the value of the outstanding class or series of shares being sold throughout the five-year period ending on the date of the sale
or exchange.

If gain on the sale or exchange of common shares were subject to taxation under FIRPTA, the foreign shareholder
would be subject to regular United States income tax with respect to the gain in the same manner as a taxable U.S. shareholder, subject to any applicable alternative minimum tax, a special alternative minimum tax in the case of nonresident alien
individuals and the possible application of the branch profits tax in the case of foreign corporations. The purchaser of the common shares would be required to withhold and remit to the IRS 10% of the purchase price.

We will report to our domestic shareholders and the Internal Revenue Service the amount of distributions paid during each calendar year and the amount of tax withheld, if any. Under certain circumstances, domestic
shareholders may be subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding will apply only if such domestic shareholder fails to furnish certain information to us or the Internal Revenue Service. Backup withholding will not apply with respect to payments
made to certain exempt recipients, such as corporations and tax-exempt organizations. Domestic shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding their qualification for exemption from backup withholding and the procedure for obtaining
such an exemption. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, the amount of any backup withholding with respect to a payment to a domestic shareholder will be allowed as a credit against such persons United States federal income tax
liability and may entitle such person to a refund, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2. Properties

As of December 31, 2008, the Company, directly or indirectly through investments in title holding entities, owned all or a portion of 548 properties in 23 states and the District of Columbia consisting of 147,244
units. The Companys properties are summarized by building type in the following table:

Average rental rate is defined as total rental revenues divided by the weighted average occupied units for the month of December 2008.

The Companys properties had an average occupancy of approximately 93.2% at December 31, 2008. Resident leases are generally for twelve months
in length and often require security deposits. The garden-style properties are generally defined as properties with two and/or three story buildings while the mid-rise/high-rise are defined as properties with greater than three story buildings.
These two property types typically provide residents with amenities, which may include a clubhouse, swimming pool, laundry facilities and cable television access. Certain of these properties offer additional amenities such as saunas, whirlpools,
spas, sports courts and exercise rooms or other amenities. The military housing properties are defined as those properties located on military bases.

The distribution of the properties throughout the United States reflects the Companys belief that geographic diversification helps insulate the portfolio from regional and economic influences. At the same time,
the Company has sought to create clusters of properties within each of its primary markets in order to achieve economies of scale in management and operation. The Company may nevertheless acquire additional multifamily properties located anywhere in
the United States.

The properties currently in various stages of development at December 31, 2008 are included in the following
table:

Total capital cost represents estimated development cost for projects under development and all capitalized costs incurred to date plus any estimates of costs remaining to be funded
for all projects, all in accordance with GAAP.

(2)

Debt is primarily tax-exempt bonds that are entirely outstanding with $94.1 million held in escrow by the lender and released as draw requests are made. This escrowed amount is
classified as Deposits  restricted in the consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2008.

(3)

Of the approximately $495.9 million of capital cost remaining to be funded at December 31, 2008 for projects under development, $341.4 million will be funded by fully committed
third party bank loans and the remaining $154.5 million will be funded by cash on hand.

(4)

Properties included here are substantially complete. However, they may still require additional exterior and interior work for all units to be available for leasing.

(5)

Total book value to date of land held for development declined significantly since December 31, 2007 primarily as a result of the $116.4 million impairment charge that the
Company announced on January 9, 2009.

The Company is party to a housing discrimination lawsuit brought by a non-profit civil rights organization in April 2006 in the U.S. District Court for
the District of Maryland. The suit alleges that the Company designed and built approximately 300 of its properties in violation of the accessibility requirements of the Fair Housing Act and Americans With Disabilities Act. The suit seeks actual and
punitive damages, injunctive relief (including modification of non-compliant properties), costs and attorneys fees. The Company believes it has a number of viable defenses, including that a majority of the named properties were completed
before the operative dates of the statutes in question and/or were not designed or built by the Company. Accordingly, the Company is defending the suit vigorously. Due to the pendency of the Companys defenses and the uncertainty of many other
critical factual and legal issues, it is not possible to determine or predict the outcome of the suit and as a result, no amounts have been accrued at December, 31, 2008. While no assurances can be given, the Company does not believe that the suit,
if adversely determined, would have a material adverse effect on the Company.

The Company does not believe there is any other litigation
pending or threatened against it that, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably may be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company.

The following table sets forth, for the years indicated, the high, low and closing sales prices for and the distributions declared on the Companys Common Shares, which trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol EQR.

Sales Price

High

Low

Closing

Distributions

2008

Fourth Quarter Ended December 31, 2008

$

43.76

$

21.27

$

29.82

$

0.4825

Third Quarter Ended September 30, 2008

$

49.00

$

36.84

$

44.41

$

0.4825

Second Quarter Ended June 30, 2008

$

44.89

$

37.76

$

38.27

$

0.4825

First Quarter Ended March 31, 2008

$

43.78

$

31.07

$

41.49

$

0.4825

2007

Fourth Quarter Ended December 31, 2007

$

45.01

$

33.79

$

36.47

$

0.4825

Third Quarter Ended September 30, 2007

$

47.48

$

35.00

$

42.36

$

0.4625

Second Quarter Ended June 30, 2007

$

52.25

$

44.36

$

45.63

$

0.4625

First Quarter Ended March 31, 2007

$

56.46

$

46.66

$

48.23

$

0.4625

The number of record holders of Common Shares at January 31, 2009 was approximately 3,700.
The number of outstanding Common Shares as of January 31, 2009 was 272,794,454.

The Company repurchased the following Common Shares during the quarter ended December 31, 2008:

Period

Total Number of CommonSharesPurchased (1)

Average Price Paid PerShare (1)

Total Number ofCommon SharesPurchased as Part ofPublicly Announced Plans or Programs (1)

Dollar Value ofCommon Sharesthat May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans orPrograms (1)

October 2008

-

$

-

-

$

469,273,467

November 2008

48,924

$

32.97

48,924

$

467,660,443

December 2008

-

$

-

-

$

467,660,443

Fourth Quarter 2008

48,924

$

32.97

48,924

(1)

The Common Shares repurchased during the quarter ended December 31, 2008 represent Common Shares repurchased under the Companys publicly announced share repurchase
program approved by its Board of Trustees. All 48,924 shares were repurchased from a Trustee at a price of $32.97 per share (the then current market price) to cover the minimum statutory tax withholding obligation related to the vesting of the
Trustees restricted shares. On December 3, 2007, the Board of Trustees approved a $500.0 million share repurchase program, of which $467.7 million remains available for repurchase as of December 31, 2008.

The amounts shown in columns (a) and (b) of the above table do not include 996,011 outstanding Common Shares (all of which are restricted and subject to vesting
requirements) that were granted under the Companys Amended and Restated 1993 Share Option and Share Award Plan, as amended (the 1993 Plan) and the Companys 2002 Share Incentive Plan, as restated (the 2002 Plan)
and outstanding Common Shares that have been purchased by employees and trustees under the Companys ESPP.

(2)

Includes 8,742,816 Common Shares that may be issued under the 2002 Plan, of which only 25% may be in the form of restricted shares, and 3,885,727 Common Shares that may be sold to
employees and trustees under the ESPP.

The aggregate number of securities available for issuance (inclusive of restricted
shares previously granted and outstanding and shares underlying outstanding options) under the 2002 Plan equals 7.5% of the Companys outstanding Common Shares, calculated on a fully diluted basis, determined annually on the first day of each
calendar year. On January
1, 2009, this amount equaled 21,740,453, of which 8,742,816 shares were available for future issuance.

The following table sets forth selected financial and operating information on a historical basis
for the Company. The following information should be read in conjunction with all of the financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Form 10-K. The historical operating and balance sheet data have been derived from the
historical financial statements of the Company. All amounts have also been restated in accordance with the discontinued operations provisions of SFAS No. 144. Certain capitalized terms as used herein are defined in the Notes to Consolidated
Financial Statements.

(Financial information in thousands except for per share and property data)

Year Ended December 31,

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

OPERATING DATA:

Total revenues from continuing operations

$

2,103,204

$

1,947,057

$

1,702,541

$

1,413,877

$

1,229,707

Interest and other income

$

33,540

$

20,144

$

30,880

$

68,315

$

8,685

Income from continuing operations, net of minority interests

$

40,909

$

67,829

$

30,293

$

87,707

$

24,498

Discontinued operations, net of minority interests

$

379,183

$

921,793

$

1,042,551

$

774,086

$

447,831

Net income

$

420,092

$

989,622

$

1,072,844

$

861,793

$

472,329

Net income available to Common Shares

$

405,585

$

960,676

$

1,031,766

$

807,792

$

418,583

Earnings per share  basic:

Income (loss) from continuing operations available to Common Shares

$

0.10

$

0.14

$

(0.04)

$

0.12

$

(0.10)

Net income available to Common Shares

$

1.50

$

3.44

$

3.56

$

2.83

$

1.50

Weighted average Common Shares outstanding

270,012

279,406

290,019

285,760

279,744

Earnings per share  diluted:

Income (loss) from continuing operations available to Common Shares

$

0.10

$

0.14

$

(0.04)

$

0.12

$

(0.10)

Net income available to Common Shares

$

1.49

$

3.39

$

3.56

$

2.79

$

1.50

Weighted average Common Shares outstanding

290,060

302,235

290,019

310,785

279,744

Distributions declared per Common Share outstanding

$

1.93

$

1.87

$

1.79

$

1.74

$

1.73

BALANCE SHEET DATA (at end of period):

Real estate, before accumulated depreciation

$

18,690,239

$

18,333,350

$

17,235,175

$

16,590,370

$

14,852,621

Real estate, after accumulated depreciation

$

15,128,939

$

15,163,225

$

14,212,695

$

13,702,230

$

12,252,794

Total assets

$

16,535,110

$

15,689,777

$

15,062,219

$

14,108,751

$

12,656,306

Total debt

$

10,501,246

$

9,508,733

$

8,057,656

$

7,591,073

$

6,459,806

Minority Interests

$

318,501

$

358,046

$

411,459

$

422,183

$

535,582

Shareholders equity

$

4,997,294

$

5,062,518

$

5,884,222

$

5,395,340

$

5,072,528

OTHER DATA:

Total properties (at end of period)

548

579

617

926

939

Total apartment units (at end of period)

147,244

152,821

165,716

197,404

200,149

Funds from operations available to Common Shares and OP Units  basic (1) (2)

$

631,644

$

723,484

$

716,143

$

784,625

$

651,741

Cash flow provided by (used for):

Operating activities

$

755,027

$

793,128

$

755,466

$

698,531

$

707,061

Investing activities

$

(343,803)

$

(200,645)

$

(259,472)

$

(592,201)

$

(555,279)

Financing activities

$

428,739

$

(801,929)

$

(324,545)

$

(101,007)

$

(117,856)

(1)

The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) defines funds from operations (FFO) (April 2002 White Paper) as net
income (computed in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP)), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of depreciable property, plus depreciation and amortization, and after adjustments for
unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. Adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures will be calculated to reflect funds from operations on the same basis. The April 2002 White Paper states that gain or loss on sales of
property is excluded from FFO for previously depreciated operating properties only. Once the Company commences the conversion of units to condominiums, it simultaneously discontinues depreciation of such property. FFO available to Common Shares and
OP Units is calculated on a basis consistent with net income available to Common Shares and reflects adjustments to net income for preferred distributions and premiums on redemption of preferred shares in accordance with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States. The equity positions of various individuals and entities that contributed their properties to the Operating Partnership in exchange for OP Units are collectively referred to as the Minority Interests
 Operating Partnership. Subject to certain restrictions, the Minority Interests  Operating

Partnership may exchange their OP Units for EQR Common Shares on a one-for-one basis. See Item 7 for a reconciliation of net income to FFO and FFO
available to Common Shares and OP Units.

(2)

The Company believes that FFO and FFO available to Common Shares and OP Units are helpful to investors as supplemental measures of the operating performance of a real estate
company, because they are recognized measures of performance by the real estate industry and by excluding gains or losses related to dispositions of depreciable property and excluding real estate depreciation (which can vary among owners of
identical assets in similar condition based on historical cost accounting and useful life estimates), FFO and FFO available to Common Shares and OP Units can help compare the operating performance of a companys real estate between periods or
as compared to different companies. FFO and FFO available to Common Shares and OP Units do not represent net income, net income available to Common Shares or net cash flows from operating activities in accordance with GAAP. Therefore, FFO and FFO
available to Common Shares and OP Units should not be exclusively considered as alternatives to net income, net income available to Common Shares or net cash flows from operating activities as determined by GAAP or as measures of liquidity. The
Companys calculation of FFO and FFO available to Common Shares and OP Units may differ from other real estate companies due to, among other items, variations in cost capitalization policies for capital expenditures and, accordingly, may not be
comparable to such other real estate companies.

Item 7. Managements
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis of the results of
operations and financial condition of the Company should be read in connection with the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto. Due to the Companys ability to control the Operating Partnership and its subsidiaries other than
entities owning interests in the Partially Owned Properties  Unconsolidated and certain other entities in which the Company has investments, the Operating Partnership and each such subsidiary entity has been consolidated with the Company for
financial reporting purposes. Capitalized terms used herein and not defined are as defined elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008.

Forward-looking statements in this Item 7 as well as elsewhere in
this Annual Report on Form 10-K are intended to be made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions made
by management. While the Companys management believes the assumptions underlying its forward-looking statements are reasonable, such information is inherently subject to uncertainties and may involve certain risks, which could cause actual
results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Many of these uncertainties and risks are difficult to
predict and beyond managements control. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, results or events. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no
obligation to update or supplement these forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to the following:



We intend to actively acquire multifamily properties for rental operations as market conditions dictate. The Company does not currently intend to begin the
development of any new wholly-owned projects but has a substantial number of properties under development now and may commence new development activities if conditions warrant. We may underestimate the costs necessary to bring an acquired property
up to standards established for its intended market position or to complete a development property. Additionally, we expect that other major real estate investors with significant capital will compete with us for attractive investment opportunities
or may also develop properties in markets where we focus our development efforts. This competition may increase prices for multifamily properties. We may not be in a position or have the opportunity in the future to make suitable property
acquisitions on favorable terms. To the extent that we do develop more properties if conditions warrant, we expect to do so ourselves in addition to co-investing with our development partners. The total number of development units, cost of
development and estimated completion dates are subject to uncertainties arising from changing economic conditions (such as the cost of labor and construction materials), competition and local government regulation;



Sources of capital to the Company or labor and materials required for maintenance, repair, capital expenditure or development may be more expensive than
anticipated;



Occupancy levels and market rents may be adversely affected by national and local economic and market conditions including, without limitation, new construction and
excess inventory of multifamily and single family housing, slow or negative employment growth, availability of low interest mortgages for single family home buyers and the potential for geopolitical instability, all of which are beyond the
Companys control; and

Equity Residential (EQR), a Maryland real estate investment trust (REIT) formed in March 1993, is an S&P 500 company focused on the acquisition, development and management of high quality
apartment properties in top United States growth markets. EQR has elected to be taxed as a REIT.

The Company is one of the largest
publicly traded real estate companies and is the largest publicly traded owner of multifamily properties in the United States (based on the aggregate market value of its outstanding Common Shares, the number of apartment units wholly owned and total
revenues earned). The Companys corporate headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois and the Company also operates property management offices throughout the United States. As of February 5, 2009, the Company has approximately 4,700
employees who provide real estate operations, leasing, legal, financial, accounting, acquisition, disposition, development and other support functions.

EQR is the general partner of, and as of December 31, 2008 owned an approximate 94.2% ownership interest in, ERP Operating Limited Partnership, an Illinois limited partnership (the Operating
Partnership). The Company is structured as an umbrella partnership REIT (UPREIT) under which all property ownership and related business operations are conducted through the Operating Partnership and its subsidiaries. References to
the Company include EQR, the Operating Partnership and those entities owned or controlled by the Operating Partnership and/or EQR.

The Company seeks to maximize current income, capital appreciation of
each property and the total return for its shareholders. The Companys strategy for accomplishing these objectives includes:



Leveraging our size and scale in four critical ways:



Investing in apartment communities located in strategically targeted markets to maximize our total return on an enterprise level;



Meeting the needs of our residents by offering a wide array of product choices and a commitment to service;



Engaging, retaining and attracting the best employees by providing them with the education, resources and opportunities to succeed; and



Sharing resources, customers and best practices in property management and across the enterprise.



Owning a highly diversified portfolio by investing in target markets defined by a combination of the following criteria:



High barrier-to-entry (low supply);



Strong economic predictors (high demand); and



Attractive quality of life (high demand and retention).



Giving residents reasons to stay with the Company by providing a range of product options available in our diversified portfolio and by enhancing their experience
through our employees and our services.



Being open and responsive to market realities to take advantage of investment opportunities that align with our long-term vision.

The Company anticipates that future property acquisitions, developments and dispositions will occur within the United States. Acquisitions and developments may be financed from various sources of capital, which may
include retained cash flow, issuance of additional equity and debt securities, sales of properties, joint venture agreements and collateralized and uncollateralized borrowings. In addition, the Company may acquire properties in transactions that
include the issuance of limited partnership interests in the Operating Partnership (OP Units) as consideration for the

acquired properties. Such transactions may, in certain circumstances, enable the sellers to defer, in whole or in part, the recognition of taxable income or
gain that might otherwise result from the sales. EQR may also acquire land parcels to hold and/or sell based on market opportunities.

When
evaluating potential acquisitions, developments and dispositions, the Company generally considers the following factors:



strategically targeted markets;



income levels and employment growth trends in the relevant market;



employment and household growth and net migration of the relevant markets population;



barriers to entry that would limit competition (zoning laws, building permit availability, supply of undeveloped or developable real estate, local building costs
and construction costs, among other factors);



the location, construction quality, condition and design of the property;



the current and projected cash flow of the property and the ability to increase cash flow;



the potential for capital appreciation of the property;



the terms of resident leases, including the potential for rent increases;



the potential for economic growth and the tax and regulatory environment of the community in which the property is located;



the occupancy and demand by residents for properties of a similar type in the vicinity (the overall market and submarket);



the prospects for liquidity through sale, financing or refinancing of the property;



the benefits of integration into existing operations;



purchase prices and yields of available existing stabilized properties, if any;



competition from existing multifamily properties, comparably priced single family homes or rentals, residential properties under development and the potential for
the construction of new multifamily properties in the area; and



opportunistic selling based on demand and price of high quality assets, including condominium conversions.

The Company generally reinvests the proceeds received from property dispositions primarily to achieve its acquisition, development and rehab strategies
and at times to fund its debt and equity repurchase activities. In addition, when feasible, the Company may structure these transactions as tax-deferred exchanges.

The slowdown in the economy, which accelerated in the fourth quarter of
2008, coupled with continued job losses and/or lack of job growth leads us to be cautious regarding expected performance for 2009. Since the fourth quarter of 2008, our revenue has declined in most of our major markets as the economic slowdown
continues to impact existing and prospective residents. Markets with little employment loss should perform better than markets with employment issues, although most of our markets are now experiencing job losses. Should the current credit crisis and
general economic recession continue, the Company may continue to experience a period of declining revenues, which would adversely impact the Companys results of operations. The vast majority of our leases are for terms of 12 months or less. As
a result, we quickly feel the impact of an economic downturn which limits our ability to raise rents or causes us to lower rents on turnover units and lease renewals. Since the second half of 2008, continued job losses and a lack of household
formation have hampered our ability to increase rents or caused us to lower rents for new residents. Additionally, in recent months it has become increasingly difficult to maintain rents with our renewing residents.

After two consecutive years of modest expense growth (same store expenses grew 2.2% between 2008 and 2007 and 2.1% between 2007 and 2006), the Company
anticipates that 2009 expenses will increase at a higher rate primarily due to cost pressures from non-controllable areas such as utilities and real estate taxes. The combination of expected declines in revenues and higher overall expense levels
will have a negative impact on the Companys results of operations for 2009.

The continued credit crisis has negatively impacted the
availability and pricing of debt capital. During this time, the multifamily residential sector has benefited from the continued liquidity provided by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. A vast majority of the properties we sold this year were financed for
the purchaser by one of these agencies. Furthermore, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac provided us with approximately $1.6 billion of secured mortgage financing in 2008 at attractive rates when compared to other sources of credit. While the Company
believes these agencies will continue to provide liquidity to our sector, should they discontinue doing so, have their mandates changed or reduced or be disbanded by the government, it would significantly reduce our access to debt capital and/or
increase borrowing

In response to the recession and liquidity issues prevalent in the debt markets, we took a number of steps to better position ourselves. In early 2008, we began pre-funding our maturing debt obligations with
approximately $1.6 billion in secured mortgage financing obtained from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. We also significantly reduced our acquisition activity. During the second half of 2008, we only acquired one property while we continued selling
non-core assets. We expect to continue to be a net seller of assets during 2009 should current conditions continue. Additionally, we significantly reduced our development activities, starting only two new projects in the first half of 2008 and none
in the second half of the year. We also reduced the number of planned development projects we will undertake in the future and took a $116.4 million impairment charge to reduce the value of five assets that we no longer plan on pursuing. We do not
currently anticipate starting any new wholly-owned development projects during 2009 unless market conditions improve significantly. Finally, during 2009 we also expect to continue our focus on our expense control initiatives.

Our specific current expectations regarding our results for 2009 and certain items that will affect them are set forth under Results of Operations below.

We believe that cash and cash equivalents, federally insured investment deposits and current availability on our revolving credit facility
will provide sufficient liquidity to meet our funding obligations relating to debt retirement and existing development projects into 2011. We expect that our remaining funding obligations for 2011 and subsequent periods will be met through new
borrowings, property dispositions and cash generated from operations.

Despite the challenging conditions noted above, we believe that the
Company is well-positioned to withstand the continuing economic downturn. Our properties are geographically diverse and were approximately 93% occupied as of December 31, 2008, little new multifamily rental supply has been added to most of our
markets, the national single family home ownership rate continues to decline and the long-term demographic picture is positive.

We believe
we are well-positioned with a strong balance sheet and sufficient liquidity to cover debt maturities and development fundings in the near term, which should allow us to take advantage of investment opportunities should distressed assets become
available at significant discounts. When economic conditions improve, the short-term nature of our leases and the limited supply of new rental housing being constructed should allow us to quickly realize revenue growth and improvement in our
operating results.

In conjunction with our business objectives and operating strategy, the Company continued to invest or recycle its capital investment in apartment properties located in strategically targeted markets during the years ended December 31,
2008 and December 31, 2007. In summary, we:

Year Ended December 31, 2008:



Acquired $380.7 million of apartment properties consisting of 7 properties and 2,141 units and an uncompleted development property for $31.7 million and invested
$2.4 million to obtain the management contract rights and towards the redevelopment of a military housing project consisting of 978 units, all of which we deem to be in our strategic targeted markets; and



Sold $896.7 million of apartment properties consisting of 41 properties and 10,127 units, as well as 130 condominium units for $26.1 million and a land parcel for
$3.3 million.

Year Ended December 31, 2007:



Acquired $1.7 billion of apartment properties consisting of 36 properties and 8,167 units and $212.8 million of land parcels, all of which we deem to be in our
strategic targeted markets; and



Sold $1.9 billion of apartment properties consisting of 73 properties and 21,563 units, as well as 617 condominium units for $164.2 million and $50.0 million of
land parcels.

The Companys primary financial measure for evaluating each of its apartment communities is net
operating income (NOI). NOI represents rental income less property and maintenance expense, real estate tax and insurance expense and property management expense. The Company believes that NOI is helpful to investors as a supplemental

measure of the operating performance of a real estate company because it is a direct measure of the actual operating
results of the Companys apartment communities.

Properties that the Company owned for all of both 2008 and 2007 (the 2008 Same
Store Properties), which represented 115,051 units, impacted the Companys results of operations. Properties that the Company owned for all of both 2007 and 2006 (the 2007 Same Store Properties), which represented 115,857
units, also impacted the Companys results of operations. Both the 2008 Same Store Properties and 2007 Same Store Properties are discussed in the following paragraphs.

The Companys acquisition, disposition and completed development activities also impacted overall results of operations for the years ended
December 31, 2008 and 2007. The impacts of these activities are also discussed in greater detail in the following paragraphs.

For the year ended
December 31, 2008, income from continuing operations, net of minority interests, decreased by approximately $26.9 million or 39.7% when compared to the year ended December 31, 2007. The decrease in continuing operations is discussed below.

Revenues from the 2008 Same Store Properties increased $53.8 million primarily as a result of higher rental rates charged to residents.
Expenses from the 2008 Same Store Properties increased $13.5 million primarily due to higher real estate taxes, utility costs and payroll. The following tables provide comparative same store results and statistics for the 2008 Same Store Properties:

2008 vs. 2007

Year over Year
Same Store Results/Statistics

$ in thousands (except for Average Rental Rate)  115,051 Same Store Units

Results

Statistics

Description

Revenues

Expenses

NOI

Average RentalRate (1)

Occupancy

Turnover

2008

$

1,739,004

$

632,366

$

1,106,638

$

1,334

94.5%

63.5%

2007

$

1,685,196

$

618,882

$

1,066,314

$

1,292

94.6%

63.6%

Change

$

53,808

$

13,484

$

40,324

$

42

(0.1%)

(0.1%)

Change

3.2%

2.2%

3.8%

3.3%

(1) Average rental rate is defined as total rental revenues divided by the weighted average occupied units for the
period.

The following table presents a reconciliation of operating income per the consolidated statements of operations to NOI for the
2008 Same Store Properties.

Year Ended December 31,

2008

2007

(Amounts in thousands)

Operating income

$

500,112

$

539,128

Adjustments:

Non-same store operating results

(148,956)

(82,826)

Fee and asset management revenue

(10,715)

(9,183)

Fee and asset management expense

7,981

8,412

Depreciation

591,162

562,290

General and administrative

44,951

46,767

Impairment

122,103

1,726

Same store NOI

$

1,106,638

$

1,066,314

For properties that the Company acquired prior to January 1, 2008 and expects to continue to
own through December 31, 2009, the Company anticipates the following same store results for the full year ending December 31, 2009:

These 2009 assumptions are based on current expectations and are forward-looking.

Non-same store operating results increased approximately $66.1 million or 79.8% and consist primarily of properties acquired in calendar years 2008 and
2007, as well as operations from completed development properties and our corporate housing business.

See also Note 20 in the Notes to
Consolidated Financial Statements for additional discussion regarding the Companys segment disclosures.

Fee and asset management
revenues, net of fee and asset management expenses, increased approximately $2.0 million primarily due to an increase in revenue earned on the management of our military housing venture at Fort Lewis along with the addition of McChord Air Force
Base, as well as a decrease in asset management expenses. As of December 31, 2008 and 2007, the Company managed 14,485 units and 14,472 units, respectively, primarily for unconsolidated entities and our military housing ventures at Fort Lewis
and McChord Air Force Base.

Property management expenses from continuing operations include off-site expenses associated with the
self-management of the Companys properties as well as management fees paid to any third party management companies. These expenses decreased by approximately $10.4 million or 11.9%. This decrease is primarily attributable to lower overall
payroll-related costs as a result of a decrease in the number of properties in the Companys portfolio, as well as a decrease in legal and professional fees.

Depreciation expense from continuing operations, which includes depreciation on non-real estate assets, increased approximately $28.9 million or 5.1% primarily as a result of additional depreciation expense on
properties acquired in 2007 and 2008 and capital expenditures for all properties owned.

General and administrative expenses from
continuing operations, which include corporate operating expenses, decreased approximately $1.8 million or 3.9% primarily as a result of a $2.2 million decrease in profit sharing expense and lower overall payroll-related costs, partially offset by
an increase in legal and professional fees due to a $1.7 million expense recovery recorded for the year ended December 31, 2007 related to a certain lawsuit in Florida (see Note 21). The Company anticipates that general and administrative
expenses will approximate $40.0 million to $42.0 million for the year ending December 31, 2009. The above assumption is based on current expectations and is forward-looking.

Impairment from continuing operations increased approximately $120.4 million primarily due to an impairment charge on land held for development of $116.4
million taken in the fourth quarter of 2008 related to five potential development projects that will no longer be pursued. In addition, the Company wrote-off an additional $4.0 million of various pursuit and out-of-pocket costs for terminated
development transactions and halted condominium conversion properties during 2008 compared to the year ended December 31, 2007. See Note 19 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.

Interest and other income from continuing operations increased approximately $13.4 million or 66.5% primarily as a result of an $18.7 million gain
recognized during the year ended December 31, 2008 related to the partial debt extinguishment of the Companys June 2009 and August 2026 public notes (see Note 9), as well as an increase in short-term investments. This was partially offset
by a $7.3 million decrease in interest earned on 1031 exchange and earnest money deposits due primarily to the decline in the Companys transaction activities. The Company anticipates that interest and other income will approximate $9.0 million
to $12.0 million for the year ending December 31, 2009. The above assumption is based on current expectations and is forward-looking.

Interest expense from continuing operations, including amortization of deferred financing costs, decreased approximately $4.1 million or 0.8% primarily as a result of lower overall effective interest rates and a reduction in debt
extinguishment costs, partially offset by higher overall debt levels outstanding due to the Companys 2007 share repurchase activity and its pre-funding of its 2008 and 2009 debt maturities. During the year ended December 31, 2008, the
Company capitalized interest costs of approximately $60.1 million as compared to $45.1 million for the year ended

December 31, 2007. This capitalization of interest primarily relates to consolidated projects under development. The effective interest cost on all
indebtedness for the year ended December 31, 2008 was 5.56% as compared to 5.96% for the year ended December 31, 2007. The Company anticipates that interest expense will approximate $475.0 million to $495.0 million for the year ending
December 31, 2009. The above assumption is based on current expectations and is forward-looking.

Income and other tax expense from
continuing operations increased approximately $2.8 million primarily due to a change in the estimate for Texas state taxes and an increase in franchise taxes. The Company anticipates that income and other tax expense will approximate $1.0 million to
$2.0 million for the year ending December 31, 2009. The above assumption is based on current expectations and is forward-looking.

Loss from investments in unconsolidated entities increased approximately $0.4 million between the periods under comparison. This increase is primarily due to income received in 2007 from the sale of the Companys 7.075% ownership
interest in Wellsford Park Highlands Corporation, an entity which owns a condominium development in Denver, Colorado.

Net gain on sales of
unconsolidated entities increased approximately $0.2 million primarily due to a $2.9 million gain on the sale of three unconsolidated institutional joint venture properties realized in 2008 compared to a gain of $2.6 million realized in 2007 on the
sale of one property.

Net gain on sales of land parcels decreased approximately $3.4 million primarily as a result of higher net gains
realized in 2007 on the sale of two land parcels compared to the net gain realized in 2008 on the sale of one land parcel.

Discontinued
operations, net of minority interests, decreased approximately $542.6 million between the periods under comparison. This decrease is primarily due to a significant decrease in the number of properties sold during the year ended December 31,
2008 compared to the same period in 2007, as well as the mix of properties sold in each year. See Note 13 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.

For the year ended December 31, 2007, income from continuing operations, net of minority interests, increased by approximately $37.5 million when
compared to the year ended December 31, 2006. The increase in continuing operations is discussed below.

Revenues from the 2007 Same
Store Properties increased $67.2 million primarily as a result of higher rental rates charged to residents. Expenses from the 2007 Same Store Properties increased $12.6 million primarily due to higher payroll, building, utility costs, insurance and
real estate taxes. The following tables provide comparative same store results and statistics for the 2007 Same Store Properties:

2007 vs.
2006

Year over Year Same Store Results/Statistics

$ in thousands (except for Average Rental Rate)  115,857 Same Store Units

Results

Statistics

Description

Revenues

Expenses

NOI

Average RentalRate (1)

Occupancy

Turnover

2007

$

1,643,513

$

607,691

$

1,035,822

$

1,250

94.7%

63.3%

2006

$

1,576,322

$

595,074

$

981,248

$

1,199

94.7%

64.9%

Change

$

67,191

$

12,617

$

54,574

$

51

0.0%

(1.6%)

Change

4.3%

2.1%

5.6%

4.3%

(1) Average rental rate is defined as total rental revenues divided by the weighted average occupied units for the
period.

Non-same store operating results increased $106.1 million and consist primarily of properties acquired in calendar years 2007 and
2006 as well as operations from completed development properties and our corporate housing business.

See also Note 20 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional discussion regarding
the Companys segment disclosures.

Fee and asset management revenues, net of fee and asset management expenses, increased $0.6
million primarily as a result of an increase in property management fees from unconsolidated entities along with a decrease in asset management expenses from managing fewer properties for third parties and unconsolidated entities. As of
December 31, 2007 and 2006, the Company managed 14,472 units and 15,020 units, respectively, primarily for unconsolidated entities and our military housing venture at Fort Lewis.

Property management expenses from continuing operations include off-site expenses associated with the self-management of the Companys properties as
well as management fees paid to any third party management companies. These expenses decreased by approximately $8.7 million or 9.0%. This decrease is primarily attributable to lower overall payroll costs, various reserve adjustments for workers
compensation and medical costs and lower training costs associated with the completion of a majority of the rollout of a new property management system, partially offset by higher legal and professional fees.

Depreciation expense from continuing operations, which includes depreciation on non-real estate assets, increased $79.6 million primarily as a result of
additional depreciation expense on newly acquired properties and capital expenditures for all properties owned.

General and administrative
expenses from continuing operations, which include corporate operating expenses, increased approximately $2.6 million between the periods under comparison. This increase was primarily due to an increase in restricted share expense and severance
costs associated with the resignation of two of the Companys executives as well as less expense recovery related to a certain lawsuit in Florida (see Note 21), partially offset by a decrease in profit sharing.

Impairment from continuing operations decreased $32.3 million primarily due to an impairment charge on goodwill of $30.0 million taken in 2006 related to
the corporate housing business. In addition, in 2006 the Company wrote-off $2.0 million of various deferred sales costs following the decision to halt the condominium conversion and sale process at five assets.

Interest and other income from continuing operations decreased approximately $10.7 million primarily as a result of $14.7 million of forfeited deposits
for various terminated transactions along with $3.7 million in proceeds from eBays acquisition of Rent.com received during the year ended December 31, 2006. This was partially offset by $4.1 million received in 2007 for insurance
litigation settlement proceeds, a $2.7 million increase in interest earned on 1031 exchange and earnest money deposits and a $0.7 million increase in interest earned on short-term investments.

Interest expense from continuing operations, including amortization of deferred financing costs, increased approximately $67.3 million primarily as a
result of higher overall debt levels outstanding due to the Companys share repurchase activity as well as the timing of acquisitions and dispositions, partially offset by lower overall effective interest rates. During the year ended
December 31, 2007, the Company capitalized interest costs of approximately $45.1 million as compared to $20.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2006. This capitalization of interest primarily relates to consolidated projects under
development. The effective interest cost on all indebtedness for the year ended December 31, 2007 was 5.96% as compared to 6.21% for the year ended December 31, 2006.

Income and other tax expense from continuing operations decreased approximately $1.8 million primarily due to a taxable gain incurred in 2006 on a
partially owned land parcel, partially offset by refunds received in 2006 as a result of a change in tax status of a portfolio of partially owned consolidated properties.

Income from investments in unconsolidated entities increased approximately $1.0 million between the periods under comparison. This increase is primarily due to the sale of the Companys 7.075% ownership interest
in Wellsford Park Highlands Corporation, an entity which owns a condominium development in Denver, Colorado and profit participation received from the sale of condominium units at a development project that was sold in 2003.

Net gain on sales of unconsolidated entities increased $2.3 million primarily as a result of a $2.6 million gain on the sale of an unconsolidated
institutional joint venture property during the year ended December 31, 2007.

Net gain on sales of land parcels increased $3.6
million primarily as a result of higher net gains realized in 2007 on the sales of land parcels compared to the net gains realized in 2006.

Discontinued operations, net of minority interests, decreased approximately $120.8 million between the
periods under comparison. This decrease is primarily due to a significant decrease in the number of properties sold during the year ended December 31, 2007 compared to the same period in 2006, as well as the mix of properties sold in each year.
See Note 13 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

For the Year Ended December 31, 2008

As
of January 1, 2008, the Company had approximately $50.8 million of cash and cash equivalents and $1.28 billion available under its revolving credit facility (net of $80.8 million which was restricted/dedicated to support letters of credit and
not available for borrowing and net of the $139.0 million balance outstanding). After taking into effect the various transactions discussed in the following paragraphs and the net cash provided by operating activities, the Companys cash and
cash equivalents balance at December 31, 2008 was approximately $890.8 million and the amount available on the Companys revolving credit facility was $1.29 billion (net of $130.0 million which was restricted/dedicated to support letters
of credit and $75.0 million which had been committed by a now bankrupt financial institution and is not available for borrowing). The significant increase in the Companys cash and cash equivalents balance since December 31, 2007 is a
direct result of its decision to pre-fund its 2008 and 2009 debt maturities with the closing of three secured mortgage loan pools in 2008: $500.0 million in March 2008, $550.0 million in August 2008 and $543.0 million in December 2008. See Notes 8
and 10 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.

During the year ended December 31, 2008, the Company
generated proceeds from various transactions, which included the following:



Disposed of 45 properties and various individual condominium units, receiving net proceeds of approximately $887.6 million;



Obtained $1.6 billion in new mortgage financing and terminated nine forward starting swaps designated to hedge $450.0 million of the total loan issuances, making
payments of $26.7 million;



Obtained an additional $248.5 million of new mortgage loans primarily on development properties; and



Issued approximately 1.2 million Common Shares and received net proceeds of $30.8 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2008, the above proceeds were primarily utilized to:

Invest $2.4 million in a military housing project located in the state of Washington;



Repurchase 0.2 million Common Shares and settle 0.1 million Common Shares, utilizing cash of $12.5 million (see Note 3);



Repay $130.0 million of fixed rate private notes;



Repurchase $174.0 million of fixed rate public notes; and



Repay $435.4 million of mortgage loans.

Depending on its analysis of market prices, economic conditions, and other opportunities for the investment of available capital, the Company may repurchase its Common Shares pursuant to its existing share repurchase program authorized by
the Board of Trustees. The Company repurchased $7.9 million (220,085 shares at an average price per share of $35.93) of its Common Shares during the year ended December 31, 2008. As of December 31, 2008, the Company had authorization to
repurchase an additional $467.7 million of its shares. See Note 3 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion.

The Companys total debt summary and debt maturity schedules as of December 31, 2008 are as follows:

(1) Net of the effect of any derivative instruments. Weighted average rates are for the year ended
December 31, 2008.

Note: The Company capitalized interest of approximately $60.1 million and $45.1 million during the years ended December 31,
2008 and 2007, respectively.

Debt Maturity Schedule as of December 31, 2008

(Amounts in thousands)

Year

Fixed Rate (1)

Floating Rate (1)

Total

% of Total

Weighted Average Rates on FixedRate Debt (1)

Weighted Average Rates onTotal
Debt (1)

2009 (2)

$

350,974

$

512,424

$

863,398

8.2%

6.79%

4.62%

2010 (3)

294,968

658,515

953,483

9.1%

7.01%

4.42%

2011 (2)(4)

1,451,164

63,178

1,514,342

14.4%

5.71%

5.57%

2012

908,196

3,658

911,854

8.7%

6.08%

6.08%

2013

566,333

-

566,333

5.4%

5.93%

5.93%

2014

517,470

-

517,470

4.9%

5.28%

5.28%

2015

355,620

-

355,620

3.4%

6.41%

6.41%

2016

1,089,317

-

1,089,317

10.4%

5.32%

5.32%

2017

1,346,649

456

1,347,105

12.8%

5.87%

5.87%

2018

335,496

44,677

380,173

3.6%

5.96%

5.63%

2019+

1,366,627

635,524

2,002,151

19.1%

5.85%

4.98%

Total

$

8,582,814

$

1,918,432

$

10,501,246

100.0%

5.86%

5.37%

(1)

Net of the effect of any derivative instruments. Weighted average rates are as of December 31, 2008.

(2)

On January 27, 2009, the Company repurchased at par $105.2 million of its 4.75% unsecured notes due June 15, 2009 and $185.2 million of its 6.95% unsecured notes due
March 2, 2011 pursuant to a cash tender offer announced on January 16, 2009.

(3)

Includes the Companys $500.0 million floating rate term loan facility, which matures on October 5, 2010, subject to two one-year extension options exercisable by the
Company.

(4)

Includes $548.6 million face value of 3.85% convertible unsecured debt with a final maturity of 2026. The notes are callable by the Company on or after August 18, 2011. The
notes are putable by the holders on August 18, 2011, August 15, 2016 and August 15, 2021.

The following table provides a summary of the Companys unsecured debt as of December 31, 2008:

Unsecured Debt Summary as of December 31, 2008

(Amounts in thousands)

Coupon Rate

Due Date

Face Amount

Unamortized Premium/(Discount)

Net Balance

Fixed Rate Notes:

4.750%

06/15/09

(1)

$

227,400

$

(98)

$

227,302

6.950%

03/02/11

(2)

300,000

2,047

302,047

6.625%

03/15/12

400,000

(942)

399,058

5.500%

10/01/12

350,000

(1,295)

348,705

5.200%

04/01/13

400,000

(503)

399,497

5.250%

09/15/14

500,000

(351)

499,649

6.584%

04/13/15

300,000

(700)

299,300

5.125%

03/15/16

500,000

(386)

499,614

5.375%

08/01/16

400,000

(1,407)

398,593

5.750%

06/15/17

650,000

(4,323)

645,677

7.125%

10/15/17

150,000

(570)

149,430

7.570%

08/15/26

140,000

-

140,000

3.850%

08/15/26

(3)

548,557

(6,057)

542,500

Floating Rate Adjustments

(1)

(150,000)

-

(150,000)

4,715,957

(14,585)

4,701,372

Fixed Rate Tax Exempt Notes:

5.200%

06/15/29

(4)

75,790

-

75,790

Floating Rate Tax Exempt Notes:

7-Day SIFMA

12/15/28

(4)

35,600

-

35,600

Floating Rate Notes:

06/15/09

(1)

150,000

-

150,000

FAS 133 Adjustments  net

(1)

1,554

-

1,554

Term Loan Facility

LIBOR+0.50%

10/05/10

(4)(5)

500,000

-

500,000

651,554

-

651,554

Revolving Credit Facility:

LIBOR+0.50%

02/28/12

(6)

-

-

-

Total Unsecured Debt

$

5,478,901

$

(14,585)

$

5,464,316

Note: SIFMA stands for the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association and is the tax-exempt index
equivalent of LIBOR.

(1)

$150.0 million in fair value interest rate swaps converts a portion of the 4.750% notes due June 15, 2009 to a floating interest rate. During the year ended December 31,
2008, the Company repurchased $72.6 million of these notes at a discount to par of approximately 1.0% and recognized a gain on early debt extinguishment of $0.7 million. On January 27, 2009, the Company repurchased $105.2 million of these notes
at par pursuant to a cash tender offer announced on January 16, 2009.

(2)

On January 27, 2009, the Company repurchased $185.2 million of these notes at par pursuant to a cash tender offer announced on January 16, 2009.

(3)

Convertible notes mature on August 15, 2026. The notes are callable by the Company on or after August 18, 2011. The notes are putable by the holders on August 18,
2011, August 15, 2016 and August 15, 2021. During the year ended December 31, 2008, the Company repurchased $101.4 million of these notes at a discount to par of approximately 17.7% and recognized a gain on early debt
extinguishment of $18.0 million.

(4)

Notes are private. All other unsecured debt is public.

(5)

Represents the Companys $500.0 million term loan facility, which matures on October 5, 2010, subject to two one-year extension options exercisable by the Company.

(6)

As of December 31, 2008, there was no amount outstanding and approximately $1.29 billion available on the Companys unsecured revolving credit facility.

As of February 26, 2009, an unlimited amount of debt securities remains available for issuance by the Operating
Partnership under a registration statement that became automatically effective upon filing with the SEC in December 2008 (under SEC regulations enacted in 2005, the registration statement automatically expires on December 21, 2011 and does not
contain a maximum issuance amount). As of February 26, 2009, an unlimited amount of equity

securities remains available for issuance by the Company under a registration statement the SEC declared effective in December 2008 (under SEC regulations
enacted in 2005, the registration statement automatically expires on December 15, 2011 and does not contain a maximum issuance amount).

The Companys Consolidated Debt-to-Total Market Capitalization Ratio as of December 31, 2008 is presented in the following table. The Company calculates the equity component of its market capitalization as the sum of
(i) the total outstanding Common Shares and assumed conversion of all OP Units at the equivalent market value of the closing price of the Companys Common Shares on the New York Stock Exchange; (ii) the Common Share
Equivalent of all convertible preferred shares and preference units; and (iii) the liquidation value of all perpetual preferred shares outstanding.

The Company generally expects to meet its short-term liquidity requirements, including capital
expenditures related to maintaining its existing properties and certain scheduled unsecured note and mortgage note repayments, through its working capital, net cash provided by operating activities and borrowings under its revolving credit facility.
Under normal operating conditions, the Company considers its cash provided by operating activities to be adequate to

meet operating requirements and payments of distributions. However, there may be times when the Company experiences shortfalls in its coverage of
distributions, which may cause the Company to consider reducing its distributions and/or using the proceeds from property dispositions or additional financing transactions to make up the difference. Should these shortfalls occur for lengthy periods
of time or be material in nature, the Companys financial condition may be adversely affected and it may not be able to maintain its current distribution levels. The Company also expects to meet its long-term liquidity requirements, such as
scheduled unsecured note and mortgage debt maturities, property acquisitions, financing of construction and development activities and capital improvements through the issuance of unsecured notes and equity securities, including additional OP Units,
and proceeds received from the disposition of certain properties as well as joint ventures. In addition, the Company has significant unencumbered properties available to secure additional mortgage borrowings in the event that the public capital
markets are unavailable or the cost of alternative sources of capital is too high. The fair value of and cash flow from these unencumbered properties are in excess of the requirements the Company must maintain in order to comply with covenants under
its unsecured notes and line of credit. Of the $18.7 billion in investment in real estate on the Companys balance sheet at December 31, 2008, $10.9 billion or 58.1%, was unencumbered.

As of February 5, 2009, the Operating Partnerships senior debt credit ratings from Standard & Poors (S&P),
Moodys and Fitch are BBB+, Baal and A-, respectively. As of February 5, 2009, the Companys preferred equity ratings from S&P, Moodys and Fitch are BBB-, Baa2 and BBB+, respectively.

The Operating Partnership has a long-term revolving credit facility with available borrowings as of February 5, 2009 of $1.30 billion that matures
in February 2012 (See Note 10 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion). This facility may, among other potential uses, be used to fund property acquisitions, costs for certain properties under development and
short-term liquidity requirements. As of February 5, 2009, no amounts were outstanding under this facility.

See Note 21 in the Notes
to Consolidated Financial Statements for discussion of the events which occurred subsequent to December 31, 2008.

Our policy with respect to capital expenditures is
generally to capitalize expenditures that improve the value of the property or extend the useful life of the component asset of the property. We track improvements to real estate in two major categories and several subcategories:

All replacements are
depreciated over a five-year estimated useful life. We expense as incurred all make-ready maintenance and turnover costs such as cleaning, interior painting of individual units and the repair of any replacement item noted above.



Building improvements (outside the unit). These include:



roof replacement and major repairs;



paving or major resurfacing of parking lots, curbs and sidewalks;



amenities and common areas such as pools, exterior sports and playground equipment, lobbies, clubhouses, laundry rooms, alarm and security systems and offices;



major building mechanical equipment systems;



interior and exterior structural repair and exterior painting and siding;



major landscaping and grounds improvement; and



vehicles and office and maintenance equipment.

All building improvements are depreciated over a five to ten-year estimated useful life. We capitalize building improvements and upgrades only if the item: (i) exceeds $2,500 (selected projects must exceed
$10,000); (ii) extends the useful life of the asset; and (iii) improves the value of the asset.

For the year ended December 31, 2008, our actual improvements to real estate totaled approximately
$169.8 million. This includes the following (amounts in thousands except for unit and per unit amounts):

Capitalized Improvements to
Real Estate

For the Year Ended December 31, 2008

Total Units (1)

Replacements

Avg. Per Unit

Building Improvements

Avg. Per Unit

Total

Avg. Per Unit

Established Properties (2)

105,607

$

38,003

$

360

$

53,195

$

504

$

91,198

$

864

New Acquisition Properties (3)

20,665

5,409

285

18,243

961

23,652

1,246

Other (4)

6,487

43,497

11,491

54,988

Total

132,759

$

86,909

$

82,929

$

169,838

(1)

Total units  Excludes 9,776 unconsolidated units and 4,709 military housing (fee managed) units, for which capitalized improvements to real estate are self-funded and do not
consolidate into the Companys results.

New Acquisition Properties  Wholly Owned Properties acquired during 2006, 2007 and 2008. Per unit amounts are based on a weighted average of 18,983 units.

(4)

Other  Includes properties either partially owned or sold during the period, commercial space, corporate housing and condominium conversions. Also includes $34.2 million
included in replacements spent on various assets related to major renovations and repositioning of these assets.

For the
year ended December 31, 2007, our actual improvements to real estate totaled approximately $252.7 million. This includes the following (amounts in thousands except for unit and per unit amounts):

Capitalized Improvements to Real Estate

For the Year Ended December 31, 2007

Total Units (1)

Replacements

Avg. Per Unit

Building Improvements

Avg. Per Unit

Total

Avg. Per Unit

Established Properties (2)

103,560

$

37,695

$

364

$

77,109

$

745

$

114,804

$

1,109

New Acquisition Properties (3)

27,696

9,433

371

66,182

2,605

75,615

2,976

Other (4)

7,388

16,398

45,858

62,256

Total

138,644

$

63,526

$

189,149

$

252,675

(1)

Total units  Excludes 10,446 unconsolidated units and 3,731 military housing (fee managed) units, for which capitalized improvements to real estate are self-funded and do not
consolidate into the Companys results.

New Acquisition Properties  Wholly Owned Properties acquired during 2005, 2006 and 2007. Per unit amounts are based on a weighted average of 25,406 units.

(4)

Other  Includes properties either partially owned or sold during the period, commercial space, corporate housing and condominium conversions. Also includes $22.2 million
included in building improvements spent on 26 specific assets related to major renovations and repositioning of these assets.

The Company incurred less in capitalized improvements per unit and overall in 2008 primarily due to enhanced efforts to limit the scope of projects and greater cost controls on vendors. For 2009, the Company estimates an annual stabilized
run rate of approximately $925 per unit of capital expenditures for its established properties. The above assumption is based on current expectations and is forward-looking.

During the year ended December 31, 2008, the Companys total non-real estate capital additions, such as computer software, computer equipment,
and furniture and fixtures and leasehold improvements to the Companys property management offices and its corporate offices, were approximately $2.3 million. The Company expects to fund approximately $2.0 million in total additions to non-real
estate property in 2009. The above assumption is based on current expectations and is forward-looking.

In the normal course of business, the Company is exposed to the effect of interest rate changes. The Company seeks to limit these risks by following
established risk management policies and procedures including the use of derivatives to hedge interest rate risk on debt instruments.

The
Company has a policy of only entering into contracts with major financial institutions based upon their credit ratings and other factors. When viewed in conjunction with the underlying and offsetting exposure that the derivatives are designed to
hedge, the Company has not sustained a material loss from those instruments nor does it anticipate any material adverse effect on its net income or financial position in the future from the use of derivatives it currently has in place.

See Note 11 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional discussion of derivative instruments at December 31, 2008.

Total
distributions paid in January 2009 amounted to $142.2 million (excluding distributions on Partially Owned Properties), which included certain distributions declared during the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2008.

Minority Interests as of December 31, 2008 decreased by $39.5 million when compared to December 31, 2007 primarily as a result of the
following:

The Company has co-invested in various properties that are unconsolidated and accounted for under the equity method of accounting. Management does not believe these investments have a materially different impact upon the Companys
liquidity, cash flows, capital resources, credit or market risk than its property management and ownership activities. During 2000 and 2001, the Company entered into institutional ventures with an unaffiliated partner. At the respective closing
dates, the Company sold and/or contributed 45 properties containing 10,846 units to these ventures and retained a 25% ownership interest in the ventures. The Companys joint venture partner contributed cash equal to 75% of the agreed-upon
equity value of the properties comprising the ventures, which was then distributed to the Company. The Companys strategy with respect to these ventures was to reduce its concentration of properties in a variety of markets. The Company sold
three properties consisting of 670 units and one property consisting of 400 units during the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively. The Company and its joint venture partner currently intend to wind up these investments over the
next few years by selling the related assets. The Company cannot estimate what, if any, profit it will receive from these dispositions or if the Company will in fact receive its equity back.

As of December 31, 2008, the Company has 10 projects totaling 3,568 units in various stages of development with estimated completion dates ranging
through June 30, 2011. The development agreements currently in place are discussed in detail in Note 18 of the Companys Consolidated Financial Statements.

See also Notes 2 and 6 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional discussion regarding the Companys investments in partially owned entities.

The following table summarizes the Companys contractual obligations for the next five years and thereafter as of December 31, 2008:

Amounts include interest expected to be incurred on the Companys secured and unsecured debt based on obligations outstanding at December 31, 2008 and inclusive of
capitalized interest. For floating rate debt, the current rate in effect at December 31, 2008 is assumed to be in effect through the respective maturity date of each instrument.

(c)

Minimum basic rent due for various office space the Company leases and fixed base rent due on ground leases for three properties.

(d)

Estimated payments to the Companys Chairman, two former CEOs and its former chief operating officer based on planned retirement dates.

The
preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to use judgment in the application of accounting policies, including making estimates and assumptions. If our
judgment or interpretation of the facts and circumstances relating to various transactions had been different or different assumptions were made, it is possible that different accounting policies would have been applied, resulting in different
financial results or different presentation of our financial statements.

The Companys significant accounting policies are described
in Note 2 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. These policies were followed in preparing the consolidated financial statements at and for the year ended December 31, 2008 and are consistent with the year ended December 31,
2007.

The Company has identified six significant accounting policies as critical accounting policies. These critical accounting policies
are those that have the most impact on the reporting of our financial condition and those requiring significant judgments and estimates. With respect to these critical accounting policies, management believes that the application of judgments and
estimates is consistently applied and produces financial information that fairly presents the results of operations for all periods presented. The six critical accounting policies are:

The Company periodically evaluates its long-lived assets, including its investments in real estate and goodwill, for indicators of permanent impairment. The judgments regarding the existence of impairment indicators
are based on factors such as operational performance, market conditions and legal and environmental concerns, as well as the Companys ability to hold and its intent with regard to each asset. Future events could occur which would cause the
Company to conclude that impairment indicators exist and an impairment loss is warranted.

The Company depreciates the building component of its investment in real estate over a 30-year estimated useful life, building
improvements over a 5-year to 10-year estimated useful life and both the furniture, fixtures and equipment and replacements components over a 5-year estimated useful life, all of which are judgmental determinations.

See the
Capitalization of Fixed Assets and Improvements to Real Estate section for discussion of the policy with respect to capitalization vs. expensing of fixed asset/repair and maintenance costs. In addition, the Company capitalizes the payroll and
associated costs of employees directly responsible for and who spend all of their time on the supervision of major capital and/or renovation projects. These costs are reflected on the balance sheet as an increase to depreciable property.

The Company follows the guidance in SFAS No. 67, Accounting for Costs and Initial Rental
Operations of Real Estate Projects, for all development projects and uses its professional judgment in determining whether such costs meet the criteria for capitalization or must be expensed as incurred. The Company capitalizes interest, real
estate taxes and insurance and payroll and associated costs for those individuals directly responsible for and who spend all of their time on development activities, with capitalization ceasing no later than 90 days following issuance of the
certificate of occupancy. These costs are reflected on the balance sheet as construction-in-progress for each specific property. The Company expenses as incurred all payroll costs of on-site employees working directly at our properties, except as
noted above on our development properties prior to certificate of occupancy issuance and on specific major renovations at selected properties when additional incremental employees are hired.

The Company follows the guidance under SFAS No. 157 when valuing its financial instruments. The valuation of financial instruments under SFAS
No. 107 and SFAS No. 133, as amended, requires the Company to make estimates and judgments that affect the fair value of the instruments. The Company, where possible, bases the fair values of its financial instruments, including its
derivative instruments, on listed market prices and third party quotes. Where these are not available, the Company bases its estimates on current instruments with similar terms and maturities or on other factors relevant to the financial
instruments.

Rental income attributable to residential leases is recorded on a straight-line basis, which is not materially different than if it were recorded when due from residents and recognized monthly as it is earned. Leases
entered into between a resident and a property for the rental of an apartment unit are generally year-to-year, renewable upon consent of both parties on an annual or monthly basis. Fee and asset management revenue and interest income are recorded on
an accrual basis.

The Company accounts for its share-based compensation in accordance with SFAS No. 123(R), Share-Based Payment, effective January 1, 2006, which results in compensation expense being recorded based on
the fair value of the share compensation granted.

The Black-Scholes option valuation model was developed for use in estimating the fair
value of traded options that have no vesting restrictions and are fully transferable. This model is only one method of valuing options and the Companys use of this model should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its accuracy. Because the
Companys share options have characteristics significantly different from those of traded options, and because changes in the subjective input assumptions can materially affect the fair value estimate, in managements opinion, the existing
models do not necessarily provide a reliable single measure of the fair value of its share options and the actual value of the options may be significantly different.

For the year ended December 31, 2008, Funds From Operations
(FFO) available to Common Shares and OP Units decreased $91.8 million, or 12.7%, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2007. For the year ended December 31, 2007, FFO available to Common Shares and OP Units increased $7.3
million, or 1.0%, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2006.

The following is a reconciliation of net income to FFO available
to Common Shares and OP Units for each of the five years ended December 31, 2008:

The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) defines funds from operations (FFO) (April 2002 White Paper) as net income (computed in
accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP)), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of depreciable property, plus depreciation and amortization, and after adjustments for unconsolidated
partnerships and joint ventures. Adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures will be calculated to reflect funds from operations on the same basis. The April 2002 White Paper states that gain or loss on sales of property is
excluded from FFO for previously depreciated operating properties only. Once the Company commences the conversion of units to condominiums, it simultaneously discontinues depreciation of such property. FFO available to Common Shares and OP Units is
calculated on a basis consistent with net income available to Common Shares and reflects adjustments to net income for preferred distributions and premiums on redemption of preferred shares in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted
in the United States. The equity positions of various individuals and entities that contributed their properties to the Operating Partnership in exchange for OP Units are collectively referred to as the Minority Interests  Operating
Partnership. Subject to certain restrictions, the Minority Interests  Operating Partnership may exchange their OP Units for EQR Common Shares on a one-for-one basis.

(2)

The Company believes that FFO and FFO available to Common Shares and OP Units are helpful to investors as supplemental measures of the operating performance of a real estate
company, because they are recognized measures of performance by the real estate industry and by excluding gains or losses related to dispositions of depreciable property and excluding real estate depreciation (which can vary among owners of
identical assets in similar condition based on historical cost accounting and useful life estimates), FFO and FFO available to Common Shares and OP Units can help compare the operating performance of a companys real estate between periods or
as compared to different companies. FFO and FFO available to Common Shares and OP Units do not represent net income, net income available to Common Shares or net cash flows from operating activities in accordance with GAAP. Therefore, FFO and FFO
available to Common Shares and OP Units should not be exclusively considered as alternatives to net income, net income available to Common Shares or net cash flows from operating activities as determined by GAAP or as measures of liquidity. The
Companys calculation of FFO and FFO available to Common Shares and OP Units may differ from other real estate companies due to, among other items, variations in cost capitalization policies for capital expenditures and, accordingly, may not be
comparable to such other real estate companies.

Market risks relating to the Companys financial instruments result primarily from changes in short-term LIBOR interest
rates and changes in the SIFMA index for tax-exempt debt. The Company does not have any direct foreign exchange or other significant market risk.

The Companys exposure to market risk for changes in interest rates relates primarily to the unsecured revolving and term credit facilities as well as floating rate tax-exempt debt. The Company typically incurs fixed rate debt
obligations to finance acquisitions, while it typically incurs floating rate debt obligations to finance working capital needs and as a temporary measure in advance of securing long-term fixed rate financing. The Company continuously evaluates its
level of floating rate debt with respect to total debt and other factors, including its assessment of the current and future economic environment. To the extent the Company carries, as it did at December 31, 2008, substantial cash balances,
this will tend to partially counterbalance any increase or decrease in interest rates.

The Company also utilizes certain derivative
financial instruments to limit market risk. Interest rate protection agreements are used to convert floating rate debt to a fixed rate basis or vice versa. Derivatives are used for hedging purposes rather than speculation. The Company does not enter
into financial instruments for trading purposes. See also Note 11 to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional discussion of derivative instruments.

The fair values of the Companys financial instruments (including such items in the financial statement captions as cash and cash equivalents, other assets, lines of credit, accounts payable and accrued
expenses and other liabilities) approximate their carrying or contract values based on their nature, terms and interest rates that approximate current market rates. The fair value of the Companys mortgage notes payable and unsecured notes were
approximately $5.0 billion and $4.7 billion, respectively, at December 31, 2008.

At December 31, 2008, the Company had
total outstanding floating rate debt of approximately $1.9 billion, or 18.3% of total debt, net of the effects of any derivative instruments. If market rates of interest on all of the floating rate debt permanently increased by 34 basis points (a
10% increase from the Companys existing weighted average interest rates), the increase in interest expense on the floating rate debt would decrease future earnings and cash flows by approximately $6.5 million. If market rates of interest on
all of the floating rate debt permanently decreased by 34 basis points (a 10% decrease from the Companys existing weighted average interest rates), the decrease in interest expense on the floating rate debt would increase future earnings and
cash flows by approximately $6.5 million.

At December 31, 2008, the Company had total outstanding fixed rate debt of approximately
$8.6 billion, or 81.7% of total debt, net of the effects of any derivative instruments. If market rates of interest permanently increased by 58 basis points (a 10% increase from the Companys existing weighted average interest rates), the
estimated fair value of the Companys fixed rate debt would be approximately $7.8 billion. If market rates of interest permanently decreased by 58 basis points (a 10% decrease from the Companys existing weighted average interest rates),
the estimated fair value of the Companys fixed rate debt would be approximately $9.5 billion.

At December 31, 2008, the
Companys derivative instruments had a net liability fair value of approximately $19,000. If market rates of interest permanently increased by 15 basis points (a 10% increase from the Companys existing weighted average interest rates),
the net asset fair value of the Companys derivative instruments would be approximately $1.7 million. If market rates of interest permanently decreased by 15 basis points (a 10% decrease from the Companys existing weighted average
interest rates), the net liability fair value of the Companys derivative instruments would be approximately $1.8 million.

At
December 31, 2007, the Company had total outstanding floating rate debt of approximately $1.9 billion, or 20.2% of total debt, net of the effects of any derivative instruments. If market rates of interest on all of the floating rate debt
permanently increased by 53 basis points (a 10% increase from the Companys existing weighted average interest rates), the increase in interest expense on the floating rate debt would decrease future earnings and cash flows by approximately
$10.2 million. If market rates of interest on all of the floating rate debt permanently decreased by 53 basis points (a 10% decrease from the Companys existing weighted average interest rates), the decrease in interest expense on the floating
rate debt would increase future earnings and cash flows by approximately $10.2 million.

At December 31, 2007, the Company had total
outstanding fixed rate debt of approximately $7.6 billion, or 79.8% of total debt, net of the effects of any derivative instruments. If market rates of interest permanently increased by 58 basis points (a 10% increase from the Companys
existing weighted average interest rates), the estimated fair value of the Companys fixed rate debt would be approximately $6.9 billion. If market rates of interest permanently decreased by

58 basis points (a 10% decrease from the Companys existing weighted average interest rates), the estimated fair value of the Companys fixed rate
debt would be approximately $8.4 billion.

At December 31, 2007, the Companys derivative instruments had a net liability fair
value of approximately $10.6 million. If market rates of interest permanently increased by 47 basis points (a 10% increase from the Companys existing weighted average interest rates), the net liability fair value of the Companys
derivative instruments would be approximately $6.5 million. If market rates of interest permanently decreased by 47 basis points (a 10% decrease from the Companys existing weighted average interest rates), the net liability fair value of the
Companys derivative instruments would be approximately $15.0 million.

These amounts were determined by considering the impact of
hypothetical interest rates on the Companys financial instruments. The foregoing assumptions apply to the entire amount of the Companys debt and derivative instruments and do not differentiate among maturities. These analyses do not
consider the effects of the changes in overall economic activity that could exist in such an environment. Further, in the event of changes of such magnitude, management would likely take actions to further mitigate its exposure to the changes.
However, due to the uncertainty of the specific actions that would be taken and their possible effects, this analysis assumes no changes in the Companys financial structure or results.

The Company cannot predict the effect of adverse changes in interest rates on its debt and derivative instruments and, therefore, its exposure to market
risk, nor can there be any assurance that long-term debt will be available at advantageous pricing. Consequently, future results may differ materially from the estimated adverse changes discussed above.

Effective as of December 31, 2008, the Company carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of the Companys management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the
effectiveness of the Companys disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15. Based on that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the disclosure controls and
procedures are effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in its Exchange Act filings is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SECs rules and forms.

(b)

Managements Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting:

Equity Residentials management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Under the
supervision and with the participation of management, including the Companys Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting based on the
framework in Internal Control  Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can only provide reasonable assurance with respect to financial
statement preparation and presentation.

Based on the Companys evaluation under the framework in Internal Control  Integrated
Framework, management concluded that its internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2008. Our internal control over financial reporting has been audited as of December 31, 2008 by Ernst & Young LLP,
an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which is included herein.

There were no changes to the internal control over financial reporting of the Company identified in connection with the Companys evaluation referred to above that occurred during the fourth quarter of 2008 that have materially
affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Companys internal control over financial reporting.

The information
required by Item 10, Item 11, Item 12, Item 13 and Item 14 is incorporated by reference to, and will be contained in, the Companys definitive proxy statement, which the Company anticipates will be filed no later than
April 16, 2009, and thus these items have been omitted in accordance with General Instruction G (3) to Form 10-K.

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

KNOW ALL MEN/WOMEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below, hereby constitutes and appoints David J. Neithercut, Mark J.
Parrell and Ian S. Kaufman, or any of them, his or her attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution for him or her in any and all capacities, to do all acts and things which said attorneys and agents, or any
of them, deem advisable to enable the company to comply with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and any requirements or regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission in respect thereof, in connection with the companys
filing of an annual report on Form 10-K for the companys fiscal year 2008, including specifically, but without limitation of the general authority hereby granted, the power and authority to sign his or her name as a trustee or officer, or
both, of the company, as indicated below opposite his or her signature, to the Form 10-K, and any amendment thereto; and each of the undersigned does hereby fully ratify and confirm all that said attorneys and agents, or any of them, or the
substitute of any of them, shall do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities set forth below and on the dates indicated: